Hareidi expelled from Israel eight years ago by Shabak - returned and questioned

After more than eight years, Zalman Hetzkelovitz, who was deported from Israel on suspicion of security offenses – is again in the Holy Land.

Hetzkelovitz landed more than 24 hours ago at Ben Gurion Airport. He had flown from Kiev, Ukraine, after he had been since the first of Nissan at the tomb of Rabbi Nachman in Uman. With his landed in Israel, he was detained for questioning.

Behadrey Haredim learned that he was interrogated for many hours only after the intervention of a lawyer - was released.

Hetzkelovitz, a son of a Chabad family from Crown Heights neighborhood, is a colorful adventure lover. He visited in recent years six Arab countries. Recently he was in Egypt. "He didn't have a shekel," said one of his friends to Behadrey Haredim, "He was able to save an amount to get on a flight to Uman, in order to stay on the tomb of R' Nachman on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, and when he got there he aimed to return to Israel.

"He had concerns. He met a friend who convinced him to try to return to Israel, despite being deported - and so he did."

His friend who accompanies him in Israel said that when he finished his investigation at the airport, he said: "It's like Exodus for me."

Now he intends to return to his regular course in Israel, hoping not to arouse the suspicion of the law.

In 2005 he was arrested in Jerusalem. During a search on his body the police found a Quran and his photo wearing a keffiyeh, sitting with a group of Arabs in a cave, along with photos from Iraq and Lebanon, where he was photographed without peyos. He told investigators he travels the world as a hobby, and he loves to drink in coffee houses. The police published then that he was arrested after he told of an intent to harm the Prime Minister because of the 'disengagement'.

After further investigation, it turned out that he carries several passports with different photographs. In some he looks haredi and in others – completely secular. He was interrogated by the ISA and at the end was transferred to the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate of Immigration for deportation from the country.

His expulsion caused a storm when it was the first time that the security system demanded to expel a Jew suspected of security offenses. So far Hetzkelovitz feared to return to Israel. In interviews from his residence abroad, he condemned the conduct of the state authorities and argued that he is not allowed entry to Israel for no reason.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!