The struggle to rescue children from Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala: '12-year-old girls being married off against their will'

Knesset lawmakers and family members renewed calls for urgent action to rescue Israeli children trapped in the extremist Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala, during a heated session of the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee on Tuesday.

Many of the children have been held in government welfare facilities since December 2023, after being removed from the cult's compound.

Esther, an Israeli grandmother who recently managed to rescue her 5-year-old granddaughter from the cult, tearfully described the horrors the girl had endured. “When she began communicating with me, I burst into tears in front of her,” Esther said. “I can’t believe this world exists while a 5-year-old goes through such suffering. Girls in the cult are enslaved and subjected to unimaginable torment.”

Esther urged Israeli authorities to compile and submit risk assessments on cult members to Guatemalan authorities. “There are 12-year-old girls being married off against their will. Time is working against the children. We must act fast,” she pleaded. “Getting one child out is not enough. We need to rescue them all.”

She recounted being harassed by cult members and said the only evidence Guatemalan authorities acted on was a formal danger assessment. “When a girl says, ‘My sister is turning 12, so she’ll be a bride soon’—that’s not something you can ignore,” she added.

Orit Cohen Amir, a representative of the families, sharply criticized state officials: “You’re brushing us off—just like you’ve been doing for 15 years. Not one child returned because of your actions. You keep telling us it’s classified, that it’s complicated, but nothing gets done. The children are suffering while you stall.”

Cohen Amir accused officials of lacking the ability to issue arrest warrants in Guatemala. “We're talking about starvation, solitary confinement, even rape,” she said. “You have the power, but you're wasting time and talking nonsense.”

Ben Zion Marcus, another family member, voiced concerns that cult families may flee Guatemala to evade justice. “We must bring these abused children back to Israel and give them the rehabilitation they need,” he said.

Committee Chair Gilad Kariv acknowledged the challenges but praised the renewed diplomatic push. “The state must provide professional care for children who endured physical and psychological abuse in the cult,” he said. “I ask that the prime minister receive direct updates on every action taken.”

Kariv also highlighted recent diplomatic progress. “We are seeing serious behind-the-scenes developments between Israel and Guatemala, and we must ensure they continue,” he said.

Dr. Tamar Rozmarin Ze’ev from the Prime Minister’s Office said efforts are ongoing in both countries. “The criminal track has accelerated, and we’re holding regular inter-agency status meetings. We support allocating aid funds for families and are exploring appointing a welfare liaison,” she said.

Dr. Yoel Lion from the Foreign Ministry said staff are being added to strengthen the Israeli embassy in Guatemala. “Last week, professional discussions were held with counterparts in two additional countries,” he noted.

However, Police Superintendent Aya Komushevitz said legal constraints prevent Israel from issuing arrest warrants until indictments are assured. “The district attorney’s office hasn’t yet reached that point,” she explained.

Kariv concluded by promising continued pressure: “We will solve the arrest warrant issue here in this committee. We’ll summon the district attorney or the international department head if needed.”

Following the session,  1.5 million shekels (about $400,000) was allocated to assist families working to rescue their children. The funding package was coordinated between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Jewish Agency.

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