FRANCE: Haïm and Elishéva Goël, the founders of a new religious movement, under arrest
Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers
HRWF (27.04.2026) – On 7 April, Haïm Goël (78) and Elishéva Goël (71) were arrested in Bellaffaire, in the south-east of France, on the basis of a so-called “signalement” (denunciation to the authorities) related to a possible cultic/sectarian deviance, according to the feelings of an informer.
They are the founding members of “Lève-Toi International” (“Arise International,” also called “Etz Be-Tzion”), a religious movement close to Messianic Judaism. It runs blogs, a website, and a YouTube channel with over 75,000 subscribers. It also broadcasts his services live on Zoom.
Haïm Goël was placed in pre-trial detention and formally charged of abuse of weakness in an organized group and organized tax fraud money laundering, some of the usual accusations against “cults” under prosecution in France. Elishéva Goël was placed under investigation alongside him. The French authorities seized their property called “Le Refuge” in southeastern France as well as cash and other assets. Financial flows fed by donations are being investigated. The couple has never been sentenced in France.
Who are Haïm Goël and Elishéva Goël?
According to Haïm Goël’s account on his website, the movement originated in the late 1980s in the Belgian Ardennes. While on an “evangelistic” mission in that region, the Goël couple founded a Pentecostal-like congregation. There, they published a newspaper, “Lève-toi” (Arise), which they describe as “fiercely pro-Zionist, and already concerned with the historical Jewish roots of the Church.” Raised in the Catholic faith, Haïm Goël explains on his website that he gradually became aware of his own “Jewish origins.” He then began his transition to Messianic Judaism. At an unknown date, the couple left Belgium to share their new faith in other parts of the world, from the south of France to the African continent, by way of Italy.
Presumption of guilt v. presumption of innocence
Journalists abiding by their ethical rules in the mainline TV channels in France usually and explicitly recall that a defendant is to be considered innocent as long as a final court decision has not decided otherwise. They consult a wide range of diverse sources before commenting on judicial proceedings and give an equal voice to all the parties. This principle is duly meant to avoid unfounded stigmatization and possible dramatic consequences not only for the person being prosecuted but also for his/her family, professional or social circles.
Media outlets and journalists prioritizing the “scoop” or questionable allegedly “sensational” findings quite often implicitly privilege the presumption of guilt in their wording based on accusations or rumours which were never validated by a court.
Titles like “A Bellaffaire, une famille sous emprise” (“In Bellaffaire, a family under psychological subjection”) or “Dérives sectaires à Bellaffaire: on savait que c’était une secte” (Cult-like deviances in Bellaffaires: it was known it was a cult”) are good examples of the subliminal presumption of guilt by some journalists. First, it is not a violation of the law to be a “secte” and second, the criminal charge of “psychological subjection” in French law has not been validated by a court in this case at this stage.
In the case of Haïm Goël and Elishéva Goël, many media outlets have swiftly seen an opportunity to associate their movement close to Messianic Judaism with a cult (secte) led by manipulative gurus extorting the money of their followers because it sells well but it reinforces stereotypes. Most of them have failed to recall the principle of presumption of innocence. Only a final judgment will provide a judicially founded truth. The media are not courts and journalists are not judges. Let us wait and see. Justice is slow. Let us hasten slowly.
Photo:Bellaffaire, a touristic region in Provence
