Fyodor Beshnery: Jewish Serial Killer
The 2016 arrest of 26 year old Fyodor Beshnery in Haifa for the murder of four women in April of that year sent shock waves through Israel. (1) He has been linked to a whole slew of other crimes, which date back to 2013 and include rape and arson. (2) He was formally charged by the Israeli police on 9th May 2016 with two of the murders. Both apparently of jewish women: one from Haifa and another from Ashdod. (3)
That Beshnery is - on the evidence so far presented in the public sphere (which is unfortunately precious little) - a serial killer seems very likely. What interests me is the question a lot of the news coverage in both Israeli and international media leaves unanswered: is he jewish?
Contrary to conventional wisdom in regards to jews and criminality (i.e., they are proverbial angels who tend to only commit 'white collar crime' when they deign to do so). Jews have produced some of the worst serial killers in history such as David Berkowitz (aka 'Son of Sam') and 'Jack the Ripper' (i.e., David Cohen or Aaron Kosminski – both jewish - being generally regarded as the likeliest two candidates).
Beshnery - originally from Moldova - immigrated to Israel in 2011 and married a jewish woman. This union produced two children before it ended in an apparently acrimonious divorce. (4) Up until his arrest Beshnery was also dating another (presumably jewish) Israeli woman. (5)
What is interesting here is:
A) If Beshnery didn't have recent jewish ancestry and divorced his jewish wife; then it seems doubtful he could continue to reside in Israel for years after the fact. This is assuming of course that he came to Israel on a spousal visa using his ex-wife's status as an Israeli jew as a way in so to speak. (6)
B) It seems very unlikely that Beshnery had access to the funds at the ripe old age of 21 - when he entered Israel in 2011 - to pay the 30,000 shekel (circa $7,850) down payment, which is required when the non-jewish spouse of a jewish citizen of Israel wishes to immigrate. (7)
C) Beshnery doesn't appear to have had special skills or knowledge that would qualify him for a work visa in Israel.
Therefore the likeliest route for Beshnery to have immigrated to Israel is via the law of return, which allows for those of jewish ancestry (and occasionally converts to [Orthodox] Judaism) to make Aliyah (i.e., immigrate) to Israel (if they can satisfy the strict requirements for this). (8)
A conversion to Orthodox Judaism seems as unlikely as Beshnery's ability to raise the $7,850 required to submit a spousal visa application. Given that it is an extremely difficult (and often lengthy) process, which he could hardly have successfully completed by the time he was 21 when he immigrated to Israel. (9)
It therefore follows that Beshnery must himself be jewish or have recent jewish ancestry as he must have used the 'Law of Return' to immigrate to Israel and not have used any other route into the country.
So it does indeed look like Fyodor Beshnery is yet another jewish serial killer.
References
(1) http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.716667
(2) http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=33367; https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/376973
(3) http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/serial-rapist-murderer-indicted-20944
(4) http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=33367
(5) Ibid.
(6) Note visa type A/4 at: http://mfa.gov.il/mfa/consularservices/pages/visas.aspx
(7) http://www.haaretz.com/need-a-visa-for-a-non-israeli-spouse-pay-nis-30-000-1.132052
(8) See point 1 at: http://mfa.gov.il/mfa/consularservices/pages/visas.aspx
(9) Cf. http://www.jewishjournal.com/lifestyle/article/for_prospective_orthodox_converts_process_marked_by_fear_and_uncertainty; http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial-opinion/opinion/israel-doesnt-want-me; http://www.beingjewish.com/conversion/becomingjewish.html; https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3002/jewish/Why-Is-Conversion-to-Judaism-So-Hard.htm