What recent Israeli extradition cases involved alleged child sexual abuse and what were their outcomes?
Executive summary
Three high-profile extradition stories illustrate Israel’s fraught relationship with requests over alleged child sexual abuse: the Malka Leifer saga, a protracted case that ultimately ended with extradition after more than a decade of legal fights ; long-running failures to secure extradition for some U.S. suspects such as Avrohom Mondrowitz, who long avoided return to the United States ; and more recent arrests of suspects wanted abroad — for example Mordechai Yomtov, arrested in Jerusalem in 2025 with extradition proceedings reportedly under way . Together these cases show a pattern of long delays, community and political interference allegations, and mixed outcomes for requesters [1].
1. Malka Leifer — a 15‑year legal saga that ended in extradition
Malka Leifer, a former principal at Melbourne’s Adass Israel school accused of dozens of child sexual‑abuse offences, fled to Israel and then spent years fighting extradition to Australia; her case became emblematic of systemic delays and alleged interference, including claims that a deputy health minister pressured doctors and that psychiatric reports were manipulated to block extradition [1]. The episode stretched over roughly a decade and a half of hearings and appeals before Israeli courts ultimately allowed extradition proceedings to proceed and she was sent back to Australia, a result widely reported as the end of a prolonged legal battle . Reporting and advocacy groups framed Leifer’s case as evidence that Israel’s Law of Return and weaknesses in handling foreign requests can be exploited by accused offenders and that political and medical actors sometimes impeded justice [1].
2. Avrohom Mondrowitz and other long‑standing non‑extraditions — decades of avoidance
Journalistic investigations and NGO reporting trace earlier examples, notably Avrohom Mondrowitz, a Brooklyn psychologist indicted in the 1980s who fled to Israel and repeatedly avoided extradition for decades; changes to the extradition treaty and Israeli law only gradually narrowed the ability of suspects to remain indefinitely shielded . Analysts argue these cases were enabled historically by gaps in the extradition treaty and by local community networks that assisted fugitives, producing a reputation that Israel could be a refuge for some accused U.S. sex offenders . Critics say that only legal reforms and diplomatic pressure eventually changed the balance, while others stress that many individual factors — legal protections, claims of mental illness, and procedural safeguards — explain long judicial processes .
3. Mordechai Yomtov and recent arrests — arrest does not equal transfer
Israeli police arrested Mordechai Yomtov in Jerusalem in November 2025; Israeli authorities described him as a convicted sex offender wanted by U.S. prosecutors on child‑sex charges and said extradition proceedings were in motion following coordinated work with the U.S. Justice Department . Available reporting states Yomtov had fled the U.S. years earlier and that his arrest was the product of interagency cooperation, but it does not yet report a completed extradition or final legal outcome at the time of the arrest . This illustrates a key point: arrest in Israel may precede long judicial extradition processes rather than guarantee swift transfer to requesting states .
4. New allegations, leaks, and political accountability — contested narratives
Recent exposés and leaked datasets have reignited claims that Israel has been reluctant to fulfill numerous U.S. extradition requests for alleged child abusers and that a “refuge” narrative persists; investigative pieces and activist outlets cite spreadsheets and case lists to argue systemic reluctance . Mainstream outlets and legal commentators, however, note that extradition is legally complex, has evolved over time, and that courts have at times granted extradition — meaning the pattern is mixed rather than uniformly obstructionist . Where sources allege political interference (for example in the Leifer affair), investigators and prosecutors have pursued inquiries, underscoring conflicts between political actors, law enforcement, and victims’ advocates [1].
5. What outcomes tell us — reform pressure, partial successes, unresolved cases
The documented outcomes are varied: Leifer’s eventual extradition signals a high‑profile success for foreign prosecutors and victims’ campaigns after years of delay , Mondrowitz’s history demonstrates how earlier legal gaps allowed long avoidance of extradition , and more recent arrests such as Yomtov show cooperation but not instantaneous transfer — extradition proceedings and legal hurdles remain the norm . Reporting limitations in the available sources prevent a comprehensive tally of every case or a definitive statement on how many extradition requests have been honored; existing coverage instead highlights a pattern of slow processes, occasional political or communal shielding, and incremental legal reform [1].