Israeli police investigate 83-year-old sheikh in Rahat for polygamy

The Southern District Central Unit of the Israel Police has launched an investigation into an 83-year-old sheikh residing in Rahat. The man, who is the father of 45 children, is being questioned on suspicion of polygamy and violations of the Entry into Israel Law. According to police, the suspect has married 10 women over the years under Sharia law, with the most recent marriage to an Israeli resident occurring last April. Investigators found that five of his wives are not Israeli residents, including individuals from the Palestinian Authority suspected of staying in Israel without legal permits. Last week, authorities located one of these women in the Dahariya area; she was detained and subsequently removed from Israel. The suspect faces charges of polygamy, as well as harboring and transporting illegal infiltrators, and has been released under restrictive conditions, including house arrest. In a separate case, police are investigating a 40-year-old resident of Bir Hadaj. The man, already married to two women, allegedly married a third in July. He was arrested at Ben Gurion Airport on August 15 upon returning from a honeymoon in Barcelona. The Israel Police stated that the Polygamy Department, established in late 2024 with funding from the Ministry of National Security, is handling these cases and intends to transfer them to the Southern District Prosecutor's Office for further legal proceedings.