Prosecutors have indicted 36-year-old Benjamin Yosef Haim Friedrich for the aggravated murder of 75-year-old Kabbalist Rabbi Amos Guetta, alleging premeditation and a concealed 21-cm knife. The indictment says Friedrich entered the rabbi's room posing as a worshiper, stabbed Guetta four times and fled; the rabbi later died at Laniado Hospital. Evidence cited includes eyewitness ID, CCTV footage, DNA on the knife and medical records. Authorities also report unusual statements by the defendant and note prior convictions and a French passport, which prosecutors say create a flight-risk concern.
Man Indicted for Aggravated Murder of Kabbalist Rabbi Amos Guetta; Defendant Called Him a "False Messiah"
ISRAEL POLICE arrest a suspect in the murder of Rabbi Amos Guetta, July 1, 2026. (photo credit: VIA WALLA)
Prosecutors in Israel have filed an indictment charging 36-year-old Benjamin Yosef Haim Friedrich with the aggravated murder of 75-year-old Kabbalist Rabbi Amos Guetta. The Central District Court document also accuses Friedrich of causing grievous bodily harm under aggravated circumstances and of unlawfully possessing a knife.
According to the indictment, investigators from the Israel Police Sharon District Central Unit say Friedrich planned the attack, took a 21-centimeter kitchen knife from the yeshiva, concealed it in his clothing and arrived at Guetta's home at 5:39 a.m. on July 1, 2026. The rabbi's assistant, identified as Yaakov, was sitting beside the bed when Friedrich asked to enter, saying he wanted to pray.
The charging document alleges that Friedrich stood beside the rabbi's bed for several seconds, appeared to murmur a prayer and then drew the concealed knife and stabbed Guetta. Yaakov rushed in to stop the attack and was wounded while trying to restrain the suspect; prosecutors say Friedrich stabbed the rabbi four times. Guetta was taken to Laniado Hospital and pronounced dead at 6:25 a.m.
RABBI AMOS GUETTA, murdered on July 1, 2026. (credit: SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)
Statements and Interrogations
Police say Friedrich was arrested about three hours later, at 8:29 a.m. In his first interrogation he reportedly admitted to stabbing the rabbi and offered details believed to be known only to investigators. He allegedly made unusual statements during questioning, including that "the angel Samael Iblis is inside his liver," and called Guetta a "false messiah." Subsequent interrogations were marked by refusals to answer, nonverbal communication and, later, contradictory and unrelated remarks, according to the indictment.
Evidence Cited by Prosecutors
The prosecution lists several items of evidence: Yaakov's eyewitness identification and account of trying to save the rabbi; the recovered knife that allegedly contained traces of Guetta's DNA; security-camera footage of Friedrich's arrival and escape; records from Magen David Adom and Laniado Hospital; a forensic opinion from the L. Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine; and testimony from others at the yeshiva compound.
Prosecutors note that Guetta was dependent on nursing care and considered helpless because of his medical condition. The indictment alleges the killing was planned and intentional, despite previous assistance Guetta had provided to Friedrich.
When requesting that Friedrich remain in custody for the duration of legal proceedings, the state added that he has two prior convictions and argued he poses a flight risk in part because he holds a French passport.
The indictment does not constitute a conviction. Friedrich faces trial, and the court will consider the prosecution's request to keep him detained pending the outcome of the case.
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