An Orthodox Jewish woman has claimed in court that a wealthy businessman tried to buy her for $1 million, writes Róisín Ingle
He's no Robert Redford and she's an unlikely Demi Moore but the "Indecent Proposal" court case involving Irish-born Jewish businessman Brian Maccaba and teacher Nathalie Attar continues to raise eyebrows around the world.
This week it was Attar's turn in the witness box in the High Court in London where Maccaba, multi-millionaire founder of international technology company Cognotec, is suing senior Rabbi Dayan Yaakor Lichtenstein for slander for spreading "poisonous" slurs that he was a "sexual predator" and "serial adulterer". The dramatic and tearful evidence of Attar, who is seven months pregnant with her fourth child, was worthy of the big screen, culminating in her fainting during a break in proceedings. She claims the London-based businessman harassed her with letters and telephone calls in the late 1990s, declaring his love for her and sending her a poem which contained an offer to her husband Alain to buy her for $1 million.
On hearing Maccaba was denying that he sexually harassed her during a late-night car ride in Jerusalem, when she claims he pushed himself on her and touched her breast, she challenged the businessman: "Just look at me," she said, turning to face him and his Israeli wife Ruth. "Look at me and tell me that this has not happened. Look at me and face me in my eyes and say you did not do that to me because this is a lie. You did that to me and you did it twice to me.," she said, sobbing from the witness box.
Earlier, details had been given of the poem, 'Knocking on Heaven's Door', which spawned the "Indecent Proposal" tag. "To set her free - a golden key. A bachelor's freedom again; one million dollars cash, in the bank, tax-free to help your parents in their penury to send your children to the best university; or just to be a playboy in the south of France for a while (perhaps all three)." Asked why she did not tell Maccaba's wife about his alleged offer, she said she did not want to break the "temple" of their marriage.
The case has shed light on the codes and customs in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in London. Attar says she was afraid to confront other people in the community about what was going on. "I felt that my own community let me down because they didn't have enough money, maybe, to stand against this man." Rabbi Lichtenstein was the only person who stood up for her, she said.
As Attar was being cross-examined this week, Ruth Maccaba heckled her despite her husband urging her to be quiet. Asked by counsel whether it was appropriate "as an adult orthodox Jewish married woman" to go on a six-hour car journey with Maccaba and two of her children, Attar said she thought it was. At this point Ruth Maccaba shouted: "A married man. An orthodox woman with a married man. That's the point. Call yourself orthodox?"
Giving evidence last month, Maccaba denied making the offer for Attar, saying he had told the Beth Din or rabbinical court in London, where Rabbi Lichtenstein is a senior judge, that it was a "ridiculous suggestion" and "completely untrue". He said that he had become "too close" emotionally with the woman but that there was never any sexual relationship or indecent proposal. "Looking back, obviously at some level it was quite inappropriate being that close and affectionate and looking out for each other when married to other people," he said.
The jury heard that the allegations relating to Attar, who moved from London to Israel with her husband to escape the attention from the case, were found "not proven" by the Beth Din. "The story has gone around and I haven't been able to close it off. As long as Dayan Lichtenstein doesn't retract, many people will believe him because he is a dayan," Maccaba said, outlining his reasons for taking the case.
Up to last year, when the allegations were first heard, Maccaba, who is described as private and "a grafter" by acquaintances, has only merited a few lines in the business sections of newspapers for his success with Cognotec, a firm which supplies financial information to corporate bodies. He was born Brian McCabe and grew up in Dublin's southside, attending CBC Monkstown before studying in UCD and later the London School of Economics. An avid Gaelgeoir who was active in the students' union and college newspapers, he spent a time working as an economist with the Confederation of Irish Industry before setting up Cognotec. Despite a number of early blips - the company went into receivership at one point - he made his massive fortune with Cognotec, which was one of the first companies to exploit the potential of the Internet.
The softly-spoken father of six - he has been married twice - converted from Catholicism to Judaism in 1990 after reading more than 200 books on the subject. In the past he has said the conversion caused a rift in his family, adding, "we get on famously now". He is a leading light in London's Sephardi Jewish community, a generous benefactor to a number of Jewish institutions, and is said to have instigated meetings between Tony Blair and senior Israeli figures.
Maccaba has homes in London and Jerusalem where he spends time observing the conflict in the Middle East. "It's like being in Dún Laoghaire and hearing people firing guns on Killiney Hill," he said a couple of years ago, describing what it was like being at a dinner party close to the front line.
The case continues.
Additional reporting by PA