Israel convicts former chief rabbi of corruption

An Israel court on Monday found the country's former chief rabbi, Eliyahu Bakshi Doron, guilty of a series of felonies including fraud over supplying false rabbinical ordination certificates.

Bakshi Doron, who served as chief Sephardi between 1993-2003, approved certificates for some 1,500 policemen and military servicemen, despite being aware the recipients did not meet the rabbinate's criteria, the Jerusalem court ruling read.

The former chief rabbi, who was born in 1941, did not receive any goods or benefits due to his actions, but the security establishment members saw significant salary raises once they held the certificates, which were equivalent to academic degrees in that respect.

Bakshi Doron's conviction for felonies, including fraud and breach of trust, comes just weeks after another former Israeli chief rabbi began a jail term.

Yona Metzger, who was chief Ashkenazi rabbi between 2003-2013, began a three-and-a-half year prison term on May 1 for taking more than $1.9 million in bribes, fraud and obstructing justice.

Israel has two chief rabbis, one Ashkenazi and the other Sephardi, whose responsibilities include running rabbinical courts for matters of Jewish personal law, and regulating the food supervision industry.