83-year-old from Rahat, married to nine women and father of 45 children, questioned by police

Police questioned an 83-year-old Bedouin from Rahat, a father of 45 children, on suspicion of bigamy and offenses related to illegal stay in Israel. According to investigators, he is married to nine women, five of whom are not residents of Israel, including residents of the Palestinian Authority.

The investigation was opened by the Polygamy Unit of the Central District Police following information received in May. Last week, one of his wives, a resident of the Dahariya area, was located and detained for questioning, and subsequently expelled from Israel. The suspect was also questioned on suspicion of harboring and transporting illegal aliens and was released under restrictive conditions, including house arrest.

In another case, a 40-year-old resident of Bir Hadaj was questioned on suspicion of being married to two women and marrying a third woman on July 30. Shortly after the wedding, he went with her on a honeymoon to Barcelona, and on August 15, he was arrested immediately after their return to Israel in a joint operation by detectives of the Central District and Ben Gurion Airport police. The third wife was detained for questioning, and the police also collected testimonies from his two other wives.

The suspect was questioned on suspicion of bigamy and released under restrictive conditions. The police stated that additional evidence had been collected linking him to the commission of the offense. The investigations in both cases are ongoing, and upon their completion, the files will be transferred to the Southern District Attorney's Office for review.