Bentzi Gopstein

[[File:Ben Zion Gopstein.jpg|thumb|165px|Gopstein at a rally.]]
'''Ben-Zion "Bentzi" Gopstein''' (also transliterated as Gophstein) {{lived|1969}} is a [[far-right]] [[Israeli]] activist, and the founder and current leader of Lehava, a [[Jewish]] [[fundamentalist]] and supremacist group.<ref>https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4610561,00.html</ref> He is also a member of Otzma Yehudit (the Jewish Power party), another far-right Jewish nationalist party.<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/supreme-court-bans-extreme-right-gopstein-and-marzel-from-election-race/amp/</ref> He was a student of [[Meir Kahane]] (the founder of Lehava), a [[racist]] [[Zionist]] who was staunchly anti-Arab. In 2019, Gopstein was charged with inciting violence, terrorism, and racism.<ref>https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2019-11-26/ty-article/.premium/israeli-far-right-supremacist-charged-with-incitement-to-violence-racism-and-terror/0000017f-db33-df62-a9ff-dff722160000</ref>

Gopstein’s influence in Israeli politics has been noted as part of the increasing trend within the spread of the far-right in Israel. Despite his racist and fascist rhetoric (including against [[Christians]]), his statements have been ignored by Christian Zionists and American conservatives and rightists who constantly claim that there is a [[War on Christmas]] (ignoring the fact that Gopstein and his supporters are waging an actual war on Christians).<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-extremist-benzi-gopstein-said-advising-ben-gvir-on-police-issues/amp/</ref>

==Disciple of Kahane==
Gopstein was a student of Meir Kahane and a follower of Kahanism, a far-right Jewish supremacist ideology. He was also a member of the Kach party, a party that was banned in Israel for its extremism such as inciting [[hate crimes]] and [[terrorism]] against Arabs in [[Palestine]]. Gopstein has also praised massacres committed in the cave of patriarchs in 1994 by fellow Kahanist, Baruch Goldstein. He has participated in memorials to Kahane since his death.<ref>https://imeu.org/article/fact-sheet-meir-kahane-the-extremist-kahanist-movement</ref>

Immediately after Kahane was assassinated in 1990, Gopstein and his fellow Kahanists were arrested in addition for the unsolved murder of an Arab civilian. Gopstein and several other Kahanists were released due to a lack of evidence.<ref>https://imeu.org/article/lehava-state-sponsored-incitement</ref>

==Lehava leader==
In 2005, Gopstein founded and has continued to lead Lehava, a far-right radical Jewish group advocating for the [[segregation]] of gentiles in Israel. Many Lehava members have been convicted of hate crimes against [[Muslims]] and Christians (many of them being Palestinian Arabs) and have advocated for [[irredentism]] by annexing Palestine and absorbing the land as part of Israel.<ref>https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-lehava-extremist-group-marching-jerusalem</ref>

==Ties to the Israeli government==
Gopstein is closely tied with the current far-right government in Israel, such as with [[Itamar Ben-Gvir]]. Some reports state that he is an advisor for Ben-Gvir and his far-right government coalition on domestic issues (such as the treatment of Christians and Muslims).<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-extremist-benzi-gopstein-said-advising-ben-gvir-on-police-issues/amp/</ref>

Because of his far-right politics, he has been banned from running for election in the Knesset (Israeli national legislature). However, Gopstein still has significant influence among the far right in the government.<ref>https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-06-08/ty-article-magazine/.premium/far-right-israeli-ministers-adviser-is-kahanist-activist-facing-racism-and-terror-charges/00000188-9774-d3a7-adcf-b77f86910000</ref> Gopstein was later granted political amnesty by Ben-Gvir and [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] to allow him to help spread their influence and gain more power in Israeli politics via right-wing [[populism]].<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-gvir-netanyahu-said-planning-end-to-ban-on-mks-who-are-racist-reject-democracy/amp/</ref>

==Segregationist politics==
Gopstein has made many inflammatory statements about and has incited violence towards Arabs, Muslims, and Christians, and has protested against intermarriage between Jews and non Jews (especially Arabs). In one example, he and a crowd of Lehava activists protested at the wedding between an Arab Muslim man and a Jewish woman who converted to Islam.<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/over-vocal-protest-arab-jewish-wedding-goes-ahead/amp/</ref>

Gopstein has also made several [[bigot]]ed comments against Christians as well. In one interview, he referred to Christians as “[[vampire]]s and [[parasites]]”<ref>https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2015/12/24/jewish-leader-demands-expulsion-of-christian-vampires</ref> who suck the blood of Israel (which is [[ironic]] as European [[Christian fundamentalist]]s in the past referred to Jews as vampires<ref>[https://www.heyalma.com/the-antisemitic-history-of-vampires/ The Antisemitic History of Vampires. Bram Stoker's original blood-thirsty, wealth-hoarding degenerate was no doubt based on antisemitic stereotypes, but a lot has changed since then.] by Rob Silverman-Ascher (October 26, 2021) ''Hey Alma''.</ref>) and must be expelled from Israel.<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/head-of-extremist-jewish-group-calls-christians-blood-sucking-vampires/amp/</ref> He has called for the destruction of churches by burning them<ref>https://www.timesofisrael.com/radical-jewish-groups-head-advocates-burning-churches/amp/</ref> and has also advocated for a ban on [[Christmas]] since in his view it has no place in the [[Holy Land]].<ref>https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/ban-christmas-and-christian-vampires-says-far-right-israeli-leader</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Anti-Christian bigots]]
[[Category:Convicted felons]]
[[Category:Fascists]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Israel]]
[[Category:Israeli politics]]
[[Category:Jews]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Middle-Eastern politicians]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Categories: Anti-Christian bigots, Convicted felons, Fascists, Islamophobes, Israel, Israeli politics, Jews, Living people, Middle-Eastern politicians, Racists, Right-wing activists, Terrorists