The Knesset Immigration, Absorption, and Diaspora Affairs Committee held a discussion on Monday on the government possibly getting involved in the rescue of children from the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala.

They discussed the support framework provided to cult survivors arriving in Israel.

“We are focusing today, for the first time, on the question of the support framework that the cult survivors receive upon their arrival in Israel. We must push the gas pedal to ensure we are properly prepared to absorb the survivors from the cult,” said committee chair MK Gilad Kariv.

What is Lev Tahor?

Lev Tahor is a Jewish cult that was founded in the 1980s by Rabbi Shlomo Helbrans and is known for its extremist doctrine, including dress code, rejection of secular education and medicine, and the enforcement of child marriages.
Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024. (credit: Josue Decavele/ REUTERS)
Members of the Lev Tahor Jewish community stand outside the facilities of the Guatemala Attorney General's Office after Guatemalan authorities rescued several children and adolescents from the Jewish community following allegations of child abuse, in Guatemala December 20, 2024. (credit: Josue Decavele/ REUTERS)
The sect has migrated from Israel to Canada, the US, Mexico, and now, Guatemala, usually in flight from legal scrutiny.

Gabriel Colodro/The Media Line contributed to this report.