The Prime Minister of Thailand denied the citizenship of the leader of the Jewish community

The Thai citizenship of Rabbi Joseph Chaim Kantor, the leader of the Jewish community and head of the Chabad network in the country, was revoked today (Thursday). Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charanvirakul, who also serves as the Minister of the Interior, signed an order ordering the denial of citizenship after Rabbi Kantor allegedly violated the terms of the Thai Citizenship Law.

According to Thai authorities, the rabbi used his American passport to enter and leave Australia on 16 occasions, the last one last January. The Ministry of the Interior claimed that the continuation of the situation could cause serious damage to the public and the public interest. The local media reported that the decision was made after an investigation by the Ministry of Justice in Bangkok.

Kantor, originally an American citizen, received Thai citizenship in 2013. He is a veteran leader in the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and a prominent figure in the Jewish community in Thailand. The Thai Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior exercised his authority by virtue of the first section of Section 19 of the Citizenship Law.

At the same time, the Department of Special Investigations has been examining the “Gan Chabad” network since last month, and found that there are records of more than 60 companies registered under one address, some with directors or shareholders. The investigators collected documents relating to land purchases, donations, taxation and operation of hotels and restaurants.

As part of the investigation, among other things, it was found that the Chabad garden chain purchased land for a Jewish cemetery in the district of Samet Tai. The report stated that the authorized directors of the company held Thai citizenship.