Shoshana Strook

Shoshana Strook
שושנה סטרוק
Died(2026-03-14)March 14, 2026
Amirim, Israel
Burial place
Old Jewish cemetery, Hebron
Alma materBen-Gurion University of the Negev
Known forAllegations of abuse against her parents
MotherOrit Strook

Shoshana Strook (Hebrew: שושנה סטרוק‎) was the daughter of Israeli Knesset member (MK) Orit Strook. In 2025, she told the police that her parents had subjected her to sexual and ritual abuse. The authorities put her complaint and the investigation under a gag order.[1][2] Strook continued to make accusations against her parents on social media,[2] and said that she was afraid for her life.[3]

On 15 March 2026 it was announced that Strook had been found dead; Israeli police said they did not suspect criminal involvement.[2][4] According to the police, they did not find any evidence for her claims in their investigation;[2][5] some details of their investigation remain under a gag order.[6] Several journalists and other public figures have disputed Strook's allegations.[7][8] Friends of Strook, activists, and women's organizations in the country have called for investigations of her allegations and her death.[2][9][3]

Early life and education

Shoshana Strook was one of eleven children born to Orit and Avraham Strook.[10] She was raised in the Religious Zionist community and spent much of her youth in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, specifically Hebron.[10][11] Her mother, Orit Strook, is a leading figure in the Religious Zionist Party and has served as the Minister of Settlements and National Missions.[12][13][14]

Strook received a bachelor's degree in psychology and education from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in 2015.[10][15][16]: 8m13s  She studied cognitive psychology for a master's degree, but did not complete the program.[10][16]: 8m20s 

Allegations of abuse

In March or April 2025, Strook made a criminal complaint against her parents, alleging that they had sexually abused her.[8][17][1] An investigation into the allegations was opened by Lahav 433, and authorities issued a media gag order.[17][18][19] According to the The Times of Israel, it was "one of the most sweeping gag orders in recent memory" and the press was not allowed to publish names or details of the allegations.[19]

According to B'Sheva reporter Avishai Grinzaig, the media was aware of Strook's complaint but decided not to publish about it.[20] On 8 April 2025, Strook's allegations were first published by activist Daniel Amram who said the story had been "silenced."[20][21] On 10 April 2025, Strook publicly posted a video on social media regarding her allegations against her parents.[22][23][21] She said that the abuse had been filmed[23][24] and that she had filed a police report in Italy.[25]

The court reduced the gag order on 10 April 2025, allowing the media to publish some information about the case.[17][18] The police suspended their investigation into Strook's allegations and did not question her parents due to lack of evidence, but this was not reported publicly due to the gag order.[20][26] The outlet Haaretz challenged the gag order in court.[8] On 22 April 2025, judge Menachem Mizrahi upheld the gag order to protect the parties involved and adjudicated the allegations to be "extremely thin or non-existent".[1][20][26]

Strook continued to post allegations of sexual and ritual abuse on social media, until at least February 2026.[2] She said that her parents had taken her to "pedophile ceremonies" at a young age and that her father had "pimp[ed]" her in Tel Aviv as a teenager.[2] She said that she was forced to undergo conversion therapy and had been raised in a "sadistic cult."[2][20] According to Strook, the abuse had negatively impacted her mental health, but her claims were still valid.[3] She said that others were trying to suppress her allegations and that she feared for her safety.[3] Additionally, she said that she was not suicidal.[27]

For several years before Strook's police report, ritual abuse allegations have been made in Israel.[28] Israel Hayom published an investigative report about ritual abuse in April 2025.[29][30] Several hearings about the topic have been held in the Knesset.[28][31][32] Strook's allegations were referenced in one of the hearings,[33] and an attempt was made to have Strook testify.[10]

Death

A few weeks before her death, Strook launched a crowdfunding campaign.[34][13] She requested support from the public because she had left her home out of concern for her safety and did not have stable housing.[34][13] Strook died on 14 March 2026, and her body was found later that day[35][36] in a vacation rental in Amirim, Israel.[37][38] Her death was reported to police by either Magen David Adom[28][39] or ZAKA.[27] On 15 March 2026, Orit Strook announced her daughter's death in a Facebook post that said: "Updating with a broken heart about the passing of our beloved daughter, Shoshana".[2] The Israel Police opened an investigation into Strook's death but have no suspicion of foul play.[2][4] News reports said Shoshana had died at 34[2][4] or 39 years old.[35] She was buried the evening of 15 March in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Hebron.[40]

Reactions

The cause of Strook's death and the validity of her allegations have been widely debated and discussed within Israel.[3][20][24][36] Various political figures shared condolences for Strook's death, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Ofir Sofer, and Aryeh Deri.[2] Alluding to accusations against Strook's family, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that using her death to "attack and incite" was "vile and despicable".[2][27][28] In the week after Strook's death, several protests took place in Haifa and Zion Square in Jerusalem, calling for the authorities to investigate Strook's allegations and death.[2][3] Protestors held signs reading "We believe you, Shoshana".[2][28]

In an interview with Israel Hayom, Orit Strook called Shoshana "kind-hearted" and "talented" and said that she had been abused by a man during a trip abroad.[10] Orit and one of Shoshana's brothers said that she had struggled with serious mental illness for several years.[35][10][41] Her sister said that many details posted online about Strook after her death were incorrect, including date of birth and medical diagnoses.[42]

Journalists such as Josh Breiner,[8] Avishai Grinzaig,[20] Yair Cherki,[43] Yinon Magal,[44][45] and Ben Caspit[44][46] have said that there is no evidence for Strook's allegations.[3] Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who adjudicates cases of sexual abuse on a religious court, stated that none of the allegations of ritual abuse he was aware of had ever been substantiated.[7][29] Rabbi Nir Menussi said that false memory syndrome could be a factor, referencing the Satanic panic in the United States in the 1980s.[47]

According to Shomrim – The Center for Media and Democracy, Strook's death has drawn attention to the subject of ritual abuse in Israel.[29][36] In response to the public discourse, the Israeli Society for Sexual Trauma Treatment & Prevention (ISTT), part of the Israeli Medical Association, issued a statement that ritual abuse and sexual abuse by organized networks is a real phenomenon that is often perpetrated by powerful people.[29][36] MK Adi Azuz called for the government to stop denying the existence of ritual abuse.[28] The Israeli women's rights organization Bonot Alternativa said that it believed Strook's allegations, and urged the government to fulfill Strook's request that they investigate.[2] Friends of Strook, including some who have also reported surviving ritual abuse, have said that Strook did not want to die or was afraid of being killed.[2][28][9][20]

Status of gag order

The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel and others submitted a request to overturn the gag order.[48] On 15 April 2026, Judge Menachem Mizrahi decreased the scope of the gag order to allow the media to report that the police had investigated Strook's allegations in 2025 and decided against questioning her parents. Additionally, the media could report that the court had ruled against lifting the gag order in April 2025 due to the lack of evidence. In his ruling, Mizrahi said that he had since reviewed an additional report that reaffirmed his opinion of the case.[5][26][6] Strook's former attorney criticized Mizrahi's decision and said that he had not spoken to Strook or adequately investigated her claims.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fried, Shiloh (22 April 2025). "תלונת בת אשת הציבור הבכירה על פגיעה מינית, והבהרת השופט: "החשד דל ביותר"" [The daughter of a public figure's complaint about sexual assault, and the judge's clarification: "The suspicion is extremely low"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Neev, Keshet (15 March 2026). "Daughter of National Missions Minister Orit Strock found dead, police investigate case". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Grover, Michal (19 March 2026). "Demonstration in Haifa: "Demand a full investigation into the circumstances of her death"". Haipo. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Karmel, Ariela (15 March 2026). "Daughter of Settlements Minister Orit Strock found dead; no suspicion of criminal involvement". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 בנדל, נטעאל; בנדל, נטעאל (16 April 2026). "ביהמ"ש אישר לכתוב: "שושנה סטרוק התלוננה שהותקפה מינית, החשד דל ביותר"" [The court approved writing: "Shoshana Strok complained that she was sexually assaulted, the suspicion is extremely low"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Court Bombshell: New Details Revealed in Shoshana Strook Case as Judge Blasts "Flimsy" Evidence". JFeed. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu on Shoshana Strook Case: "Such a Thing Does Not Exist"". JFeed. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Haaretz Journalist Josh Breiner: "I Investigated the Shoshana Strook Rumors; This is What I Found"". JFeed. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Abuse Survivors Claim Shoshana Strook was Silenced". JFeed. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kahana, Ariel (19 March 2026). "הטרגדיה של שושנה סטרוק נחשפת: "זו היתה רכבת הרים"" [Shoshana Struck's tragedy revealed: "It was a roller coaster"]. Israel Hayom (in Hebrew). Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Her Charity Endures Forever: A Tribute to Shoshana Strook z"l". JFeed. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Orit Strock". Knesset Official Website. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 "Tragedy in the North: Orit Strook's Daughter Found Dead". JFeed. 15 March 2026. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "בתה של השרה אורית סטרוק נמצאה ללא רוח חיים בביתה במושב בצפון" [Minister Orit Struk's daughter was found dead in her home in a northern moshav]. News 13 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  15. ↑ הענקת תארים [Awarding degrees] (PDF) (in Hebrew). Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 2015. p. 172. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2025.
  16. 1 2 Amram, Daniel (24 March 2026). הראיון שנגנז עם שושנה סטרוק ז״ל - שביקשה לפרסם - הסיפור המלמחריד [The interview that was shelved with Shoshana Strok, deceased - which she requested to be published - the full story | Horrifying] – via YouTube.
  17. 1 2 3 Breiner, Josh (10 April 2025). "Daughter of Senior Public Figure Alleges She Was Sexually Assaulted by Her Parents. Police are investigating the complaint, though a gag order has been issued". Haaretz. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
  18. 1 2 אוחנה, ליאור; תמרי, לירן (10 April 2025). "בת של אשת ציבור בכירה התלוננה במשטרה על פגיעה מינית מצד הוריה" [Daughter of senior public official complains to police about sexual abuse by her parents]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  19. 1 2 Karmel, Ariela (25 August 2025). "Horrifying testimonies seek to lift shroud of silence around ritual sex abuse claims". Times of Israel. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Grinzaig, Avishai (19 March 2026). "היועמ"שית הציעה להבהיר שאין חשד, סטרוק ביקשה להניח לבתה" [The attorney general suggested clarifying that there was no suspicion, Strok asked to let her daughter go]. B'Sheva (in Hebrew). Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  21. 1 2 Amram, Daniel (8 April 2025). "פרסום ראשון: בת של שר/ה מהקואליציה טוענת שעברה אונס על ידי שני ההורים שלה והגישה נגדם תלונה במשטרה" [First publication: Daughter of a coalition minister claims she was raped by both of her parents and filed a police complaint against them]. X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  22. ↑ Middle East Eye (11 April 2025). Israeli Minister Orit Strook’s daughter accuses parents of sexually assaulting her as a child. Retrieved 12 April 2026 – via YouTube. This is a video originally posted by Shoshana Strook to social media and later republished by Middle East Eye with some background info from Middle East Eye in the video caption
  23. 1 2 Porsher, Efrat (10 April 2025). ""פגיעה מינית טקסית" כשהיתה ילדה: הטענות של המתלוננת בפרשה" ["Ritual sexual assault" when she was a child: The complainant's allegations in the case]. Hamal (in Hebrew). Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  24. 1 2 "אורית סטרוק חוטפת: "אלוהים ישלם לך", "אנחנו נעתור לנתיחת הגופה"" [Orit Strok kidnaps: "God will pay you," "We will petition for an autopsy"]. Ice (in Hebrew). 23 March 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "Israeli minister's daughter accuses family of sexual assault". Telegrafi. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 פלמן, ורד (15 April 2026). "שושנה סטרוק התלוננה במשטרה נגד הוריה על פגיעה מינית, השרה סטרוק לא נחקרה" [Shoshana Struck complained to the police about her parents sexually assaulting her, but Minister Struck was not questioned]. Kan 11 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 "Israeli minister Orit Struck's daughter found dead after accusing parents of rape". The New Arab. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chaim, Avichai (15 March 2026). "חברה של שושנה סטרוק: "מדובר בכת ששולטת במדינה"" ["She felt persecuted, she had no peace": Shoshana Struk's friend says goodbye]. Walla (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 4 "שומרים - אנשי מקצוע טוענים – פגיעות טקסיות קיימות גם בישראל" [Professionals claim ritual abuses also exist in Israel]. Shomrim. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  30. ↑ Barkan, Noam (23 April 2025). "'Bottom of darkness': Children raped in ritual ceremonies expose the horrors". Israel Hayom. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  31. ↑ Karmel, Ariela (25 August 2025). "Horrifying testimonies seek to lift shroud of silence around ritual sex abuse claims". Times of Israel. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  32. ↑ "MKs warn of systemic failure on ritual abuse cases". The Jerusalem Post. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "Israel investigates widespread sexual abuse of children and soldiers". The New Arab. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  34. 1 2 "Standing With Shoshana Strock - Ritual Abuse Survivour"". Israel Gives. 6 March 2026.
  35. 1 2 3 אזולאי, מורן; אזולאי, מורן (20 May 2026). "סטרוק: "אני באבל גם כי איבדתי בת וגם על הייסורים שלה. לא הצלחנו להציל אותה"" [Strok: "I am in mourning both because I lost a daughter and for her suffering. We were unable to save her"]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2 August 2026.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Rivlin, Haim (15 May 2026). "Breaking the Silence Around Ritual Abuse". Shomrim. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  37. ↑ אזולאי, מורן; אייכנר, איתמר (15 March 2026). "בתה של השרה אורית סטרוק נמצאה ללא רוח חיים בצימר בגליל" [Minister Orit Strok's daughter found dead in a Galilee guesthouse]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  38. ↑ Breiner, Josh (15 March 2026). "מתה שושנה סטרוק, בתה של השרה אורית סטרוק" [Shoshana Struck, daughter of Minister Orit Struck, dies]. Haaretz (in Hebrew).
  39. ↑ "Daughter of Minister Orit Strock dies". Israel National News. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  40. ↑ "במתכונת מצומצמת: שושנה סטרוק הובאה למנוחות; פרטי השבעה - סרוגים" [In a limited format: Shoshana Strok laid to rest; details of the funeral]. Srugim (in Hebrew). 16 March 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  41. ↑ ""You Gave Up on Us": Brother of Late Shoshana Strook Shares Heartbreaking Letter". JFeed. 17 March 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  42. ↑ ""It's All a Lie": Sister of Shoshana Strook z"l Breaks Silence Over Online Rumors". JFeed. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  43. ↑ Isaacson, Gila (15 March 2026). ""You Have No Idea": Yair Sherki Defends Minister Strook Following Daughter's Tragic Death". JFeed. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  44. 1 2 "התפוצצות באולפן: "מי שטינף על אורית סטרוק – אני לא אשכח לו את זה לעולם"" [Explosion in the studio: "Whoever spat on Orit Struck – I will never forget it]. Maariv (in Hebrew). 16 March 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  45. ↑ "Yinon Magal Blasts "Abominable" Social Media Reactions Following Shoshana Strook's Death". JFeed. 16 March 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  46. ↑ "בן כספית חושף: בדקתי את פרשת שושנה סטרוק; זה מה שגיליתי - סרוגים" [Ben Caspit reveals: I investigated the Shoshana Stroke affair; this is what I discovered]. Srugim (in Hebrew). 16 March 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  47. ↑ "Rabbi Nir Menussi on Shoshana Strook: Beware of "False Memories" and Viral Lies". JFeed. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  48. ↑ "חודש אחרי מותה: הותר לפרסום כי שושנה סטרוק התלוננה על תקיפה מינית - וואלה חדשות" [A month after her death: It was allowed to be published that Shoshana Struk had complained of sexual assault]. Walla (in Hebrew). 17 April 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
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