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Immigrants arriving at Ben Gurion Airport. (Archives) Last update - 14:54 13/02/2008 Jewish Agency envoy arrested over fraudulent conversions By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Jewish Agency, Israel  The Immigration Police arrested the Jewish Agency Aliyah envoy to South America on Wednesday on suspicion that he provided immigration papers to 200 Venezuelan citizens despite the fact that he knew that they had undergone fraudulent conversions to Judaism. On Wednesday, the Ramle district court extended the remand of Ilan Architecter, 66, a well respected employee of the Jewish Agency who ran the absorption center in Ra'anana for many years. According to police the suspect confessed to the allegations, saying that he knew the Rabbi who converted the Venezuelans was suspect. Advertisement Most of the Venezuelans were of indegenous descent who were convinced to convert by receiving promises of Aliyah benefits from the state. The envoy told police that he wanted to be acknowledged as an excellent employee and therefore wanted to bring as many immigrants to Israel as possible. Today, most of the Venezuelans live in Ramle while some of them have left the country in the past few years. The police have expanded there inquiry in order to understand how officials from the Absorption and Interior Ministries did not realize that the immigrants have undergone fake conversions. "The Agency has always been committed to overseeing the immigration process for the State of Israel," a Jewish Agency spokeswoman said. "It is because of this commitment that the Agency agreed to assist the police with their investigation and even fly one of our emissaries back to Israel." The Jewish Agency denies that pressure was put on its envoys to bring as many immigrants as possible to Israel. Jewish Agency Chairman Ze'ev Biyelski told Haaretz a week ago that "our envoys are not measured by how many immigrants they bring". There are 15 thousand Jews in Venezuela. Many have decided to leave the country following the rise to power of President Hugo Chavez, however only a few hundred have come to Israel. Most of the Jews have chosen to move to the U.S. instead. Likud MK Yuli Edelstein, a former absorption minister, said that "the Jewish Agency must find a better way to motivate their envoys and not encourage a quota system." The agency also called for an inquiry into the rabbi who provided the false conversions. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   'We lost a great leader' Dignitaries honor the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the U.S. Congress. Deadly incursion A mentally disabled Palestinian dies of wounds sustained in a West Bank IDF arrest raid.   1.   Fake Jews living on stolen land 10:29  |  Natallie Durson 13/02/08   2.   Fake Conversions 11:04  |  Odongo Joseph 13/02/08   3.   This is why 11:10  |  fred 13/02/08   4.   Returning to their Jewish roots 11:22  |  Johnny Weintraub 13/02/08   5.   Response to Fake Jews 11:32  |  Steve 13/02/08   6.   Proof is in the belated pudding 11:38  |  Ben Menachem 13/02/08   7.   To Natallie 12:04  |  Major R 13/02/08   8.   Natallie Durson 12:17  |  Claudia 13/02/08   9.   Venezuelan immigrants 13:08  |  Eli 13/02/08   10.   Natallie 13:20  |  Jonathan Wortman 13/02/08   11.   israel is fraudulent 13:55  |  sam i am 13/02/08   12.   #5 steve 13:57  |  sam i am 13/02/08   13.   Natalie hand California back to the Native Indians 14:13  |  SJ 13/02/08   14.   they are so desperate , they ll do anything to 14:13  |  Gisele khoury 13/02/08   15.   I am Venezuelan and I tell you 14:29  |  Jose 13/02/08   16.   Oh, dear, scraping the barrel, are we??? 14:38  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/02/08   17.   #5 Steve 16:52  |  Russ 13/02/08   18.   #5 Steve 16:52  |  Russ 13/02/08   19.   to sam 16:58  |  est 13/02/08   20.   Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants 17:03  |  iaakov 13/02/08   21.   Overwelhming!!!!!!!!! 17:08  |  collond 13/02/08   22.   Plenty Jewish roots in Africa. "Zimbabwe" 17:12  |  Stephen. 13/02/08   23.   Laughing too hard to... 17:51  |  T A Sheppard 13/02/08   24.   with zoinists anything is possible 18:43  |  pal 13/02/08   25.   Phoney conversions 19:06  |  Israela 13/02/08   26.   Business As Usual 19:34  |  Mary 13/02/08   27.   Fraudulent conversions? 20:27  |  TEA 13/02/08   28.   HOW DARE YOU !!!!!!!!!! 20:37  |  someoldvenezuelan 13/02/08   29.   an awakening among some posters 20:54  |  hollingsworth 13/02/08   30.   Zionist Fed 21:22  |  Chani 13/02/08   31.   Venezuela Again 22:11  |  Jose 13/02/08   32.   #15 - Jose 22:13  |  MichaelF 13/02/08   33.   re: Natalie 22:23  |  Martin Coyne 13/02/08   34.   Zionism is a corrupt ideology, always has been 23:08  |  Maki 13/02/08   35.   Fake Americans living on stolen land N.DURSON 23:39  |  io 13/02/08   36.   Chabad in Venezuela 01:11  |  Jose 14/02/08   37.   #5 "Israel has existed for over 5000 years..." 01:51  |  hala 14/02/08   38.   to #5 steve,Your Israel is a racist country 02:24  |  Zaki 14/02/08   39.   #20 Iakov 03:11  |  Jose 14/02/08   40.   Natallie`s house on top an Indian Burial Site 03:33  |  enrique 14/02/08   41.   Fake palestinians living on a stolen land 04:54  |  enrique 14/02/08   42.   Phoney Jews 22:38  |  Bracha C. 14/02/08

Today Online Israel: We know how to deal with threats by Hezbollah Responses: 17 Palestinians: Ailing woman dies after IDF denies her access to ambulance Responses: 60 Editorial: As with Murghniyah, killing terrorists sometimes unavoidable Responses: 17 Zvi Bar'el: Roiled Hezbollah chief throws down the gauntlet Responses: 57 Roi Ben-Yehuda: If U.K. rejects sharia law, beit din will face same fate Responses: 7 Rosner's Domain The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election How Lantos was different (WTR) Poll: Was killing Mughniyah both justified and wise? Guest: Bush is a friend very wise and courageous More Headlines 08:19 Israel: We know how to deal with Hezbollah threat 10:09 U.S. on alert for attacks against Jewish targets after Mughniyah killing 03:37 ANALYSIS: Roiled Hezbollah chief throws down the gauntlet 06:51 Palestinians: Ailing woman dies after IDF denies her ambulance 07:57 Israel, PA negotiators oppose PM's bid to delay talks on Jerusalem 02:38 Jewish functionaries are stirring up the Clinton-Obama race 03:00 Livni to tell Rice: Qassams must stop before end of peace talks 05:04 Contractors named for controversial Har Homa housing plan 05:19 Iran Jews celebrate Persian roots, seek to maintain shrinking community 06:04 Poland's 1st woman rabbi embarks on mission to build modern Jewish life 04:17 Syrian FM says investigations into Mughniyah killing underway 21:21 Dignitaries honor Tom Lantos; Livni: World lost a great leader 02:43 Diplomats: U.S. recently shared new batch of intel on Iran with IAEA Previous Editions Select Day 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb

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