Israeli Fugitive Found Living in Morocco After 18 Years on the Run

In Agadir, a man has been leading a peaceful life under a false name since 2007. In Israel, M.P. had been found guilty of sexual assault on two minors and was sentenced at the end of 2006, but he managed to flee to Morocco using his alleged origins to obtain a Moroccan passport. He had actually falsified this passport with the help of a high-ranking Israeli criminal. He changed his name to become MF. He remained in contact with his family and friends and even created a Facebook profile where he displayed his new life. "He was not afraid of being arrested [...] He must have felt very safe in Morocco," noted a source.

In Agadir, he has been heavily involved in the activities of the Jewish community, including supervising kosher certifications in the region to the point of becoming an influential member. Thanks to his notoriety, he frequently travels to Paris for business related to his specialty. According to a former member of the Jewish community in Agadir, MP had chosen this city precisely because of its small Jewish population of 70 people. "If he had gone to a larger community like Casablanca, his secret would have been discovered much earlier," the source explained.

In Israel, one of his victims breaks the silence. "I had no idea. I was just a child. He kept saying it was normal, that it was an expression of love, that it was what people did when they cared about each other. I was naive and I believed him. I thought that’s how things were supposed to be, so I remained silent. As soon as my parents weren’t there, he would come into my room, assault me, and then leave," the unidentified woman recounted. Has MP also made victims in Morocco? It is difficult to answer.

Has Morocco become the Eldorado for Israeli fugitives? In an article published in 2013, The Times of Israel described the country as a "new refuge for Israeli fugitives," referring to Eliezer Berland. This Hasidic rabbi had taken refuge in Morocco after allegedly assaulting two women.