Posted to Chabad News on
Arutz Sheva
ISREAL — It was disclosed Monday that the body found in a relatively advanced state of decay on Friday in an abandoned structure near Beit Dagan in central Israel was that of Rafael (Refoel) Miriashvilli, a 25-year-old Chabad Lubavitch yeshiva student from the city of Lod who had been missing for five weeks. Police say evidence at the scene points to Miriashvilli having been murdered although the circumstances are not clear.

There have been rumors in Chabad circles that he was murdered by Arabs in revenge for his anti-intermarriage efforts. Approximately four years ago, working for the Yad L’Achim anti-assimilation and anti-intermarriage organization, Miriashvilli and two colleagues were charged with kidnapping and impersonating security personnel in the course of saving a Jewish woman from marriage to an Arab.

Beit Dagan Victim ID’d as Missing Lod Chabad Activist

Arutz Sheva

ISREAL — It was disclosed Monday that the body found in a relatively advanced state of decay on Friday in an abandoned structure near Beit Dagan in central Israel was that of Rafael (Refoel) Miriashvilli, a 25-year-old Chabad Lubavitch yeshiva student from the city of Lod who had been missing for five weeks. Police say evidence at the scene points to Miriashvilli having been murdered although the circumstances are not clear.

There have been rumors in Chabad circles that he was murdered by Arabs in revenge for his anti-intermarriage efforts. Approximately four years ago, working for the Yad L’Achim anti-assimilation and anti-intermarriage organization, Miriashvilli and two colleagues were charged with kidnapping and impersonating security personnel in the course of saving a Jewish woman from marriage to an Arab.

Refoel was released a year ago after serving a year of an 18-month sentence in prison. Shortly before the police announced that they had found an unidentified body, Refoel’s mother said that she had reason to believe that the friends of the Arab boyfriend – who has his own criminal record – might have been seeking revenge for what Refoel did.

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7 Comments

  • Kidd=ush ?

    There have been rumors in Chabad circles that he was murdered by Arabs in revenge for his anti-intermarriage efforts

  • Kiddush Hashem

    There have been rumors in Chabad circles that he was murdered by Arabs in revenge for his anti-intermarriage efforts

    if thats the case then he is the same Kadosh like the holtzbergs

  • CN

    Baruch Dayan HaEmes. Each kiddush HaShem has its own merit. Not sure why we need to compare them to one another.

  • Had been missing for FIVE WEEKS ???!!!

    HOW COME WE HAD NO CLUE ABOUT THIS ???!!!

    How come there was no mention of a missing Lubavitcher since he went missing five weeks ago ?! No notices for saying Tehillim, neither were there media covered searches ??!! NOTHING !!!

    Awaiting your answer.

  • CHT

    I knew before that what people from Yad L’Achim do is very heroic and extremely life endangering. However, I did not hear about their fatalities before. Just shows how extremely dangerous their holly work is – we did not need that, we already knew it. What an amazing life cut short.

  • family member

    How come there was no mention of a missing Lubavitcher since he went missing five weeks ago ?! No notices for saying Tehillim, neither were there media covered searches ??!! NOTHING !!!

    Awaiting your answer.

    my answer is it is a country that does not care for religios people so why are you asking?
    and also the family new about it but they did not know what to do .