Escapee from anti-Zionist Jewish cult struggles to save son

A 22-year-old escapee from an ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist cult in Guatemala is in the midst of a years-long struggle to retrieve his two-year-old son from the extremist group.

Israel Amir escaped the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala two years ago, Channel 12 News reported.

Some describe Lev Tahor as the “Jewish Taliban” due to their strict rules of livelihood and extreme views.

Founded in Jerusalem in the 1980s, the group fled to Canada and then to Guatemala in 2014 under intense scrutiny for alleged child abuse and child marriage.

Before leaving the cult, Amir filmed a video during which he described the brutality of the leaders, the lack of food, and extreme conditions.

He sent the video to his cousins in Israel, who then flew to Guatemala to help him escape, according to Channel 12 News.

Continue reading at https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/latin-america/1641124223-escapee-from-anti-zionist-jewish-cult-struggles-to-save-son

Man who escaped anti-Zionist Jewish cult returned to Guatemala in search of his son

A 22-year-old survivor of an ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist cult in Guatemala is in the midst of a years-long struggle to extract his two-year-old son from the hands of the leadership of the extremist group.

Israel Amir managed to escape the Lev Tahor cult while holed up in a Guatemala forest compound two years ago.

The group has been described as a cult and as the “Jewish Taliban,” as women and girls older than three are required to dress in long black robes covering their entire body, leaving only their faces exposed. The men spend most of their days in prayer and studying specific portions of the Torah. The group adheres to an extreme, idiosyncratic reading of kosher dietary laws.

Continue reading at https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-who-escaped-anti-zionist-jewish-cult-returns-to-guatemala-in-search-of-son/

Meet the man trying to rescue his son from Lev Tahor

Israel Amir, who escaped from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala has been on a mission to save his two-year-old son from the cult since he left two years ago, N12 reported on Thursday.

Amir is reportedly working with former Mossad agents to gather intelligence on the cult and figure out a way to save his son amid concerning revelations that have been made.

It has been known for a while that Lev Tahor leaders are intending on moving to Iran where they think they will be able to practice their religion more freely and will find solidarity with the Iranian regime on their anti-Zionist stance. This information is deeply concerning to the families of the cult members, most of whom are Israeli. If the cult is able to reach Iran, chances are that rather than be left to do as they please, they will be used by Iran as bargaining chips against Israel or be publicly murdered to send a message.

Continue reading at https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-690257