Bentzzi Gopstein Warns: "The Reformers Are Fighting Me, But Their Ultimate Goal is the Rabbis of Israel"

Last week, Bentzzi Gopstein appeared in the Jerusalem court due to a lawsuit filed against him by the Reform movement. They've gone through great lengths to bring him before the judge, sifting through various archives and interviews until finding the statements they were searching for. Thus, the right-wing activist who has sanctified the fight against assimilation was brought to the defendant's stand in the Jerusalem court.

"My Fight Against Assimilation Is Objectionable to the Reformers"

"Make no mistake," says Gopstein at the start of our discussion, held after the first hearing, "the judges are cooperating with the Reformers, and both the judges and the Reformers share the same worldview regarding issues at the heart of Judaism."

Gopstein is candid in his words when speaking about the Reform movement: "There have always been people who left the Jewish people and declared war against Jews," he says sorrowfully. "In the past, it was the Hellenists who fought against the people of Israel during the Second Temple period, and years later it was the Enlightenment movement that sought to harm everything sacred, and today it is the Reformers." According to him, the assimilation crisis in the U.S. demonstrates how the Reform movement is the greatest enemy of the Jewish people.

Bentzzi Gopstein (Photo: David Denberg)

Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, a friend and ally of Gopstein, completely agrees with his statement, defining the indictment as "the worst kind of persecution."

"This is sheer censorship," he says. "The Reformers are waging a full-scale war against the fundamental values of Judaism through the generations. Currently, they target Bentzzi Gopstein as an individual, but their ultimate aim is to fight the traditional Judaism that guides us."

Ben-Ari adds: "The Reform movement has set its target to undermine the foundations of Judaism; they fight the settlers, but their deeper agenda is against Judaism as a whole. The Reformers aim to encourage the assimilation of the people of Israel alongside other despicable acts, while they assist leftist organizations as well. Notice that, for some reason, the Reformers' voice is never heard criticizing Arabs, even though problematic statements or actions by them aren't lacking. Yet, the Reformers ignore this because they wish to fight Judaism, while sympathizing with Arabs."

"It's clear to me," Ben-Ari continues, "that after Gopstein, they will target me. Since they are conducting a real war against everyone who fervently defends the values they seek to destroy, they do not intend to be satisfied with Gopstein alone; rather, they will also want to fight against me and others who share our path. For them, a person who battles against missionary activity or takes action against debased parades is a stumbling block in the path to their true goal, and they will act against such individuals with all their might."

Both Bentzzi Gopstein and Michael Ben-Ari agree that the Israeli judicial system actively cooperates with the Reformers. "The Reformers have a listening ear in the court corridors and receive special treatment from the prosecution and the court," they clarify.

"You Have Been Charged with 'Incitement'"

"The indictment quotes a past statement of mine where I said that some of the Arab leaders in Israel are like a cancerous growth among us," says Gopstein, adding, "The Reformers extracted this piece from an interview and decided to file an indictment against me. In my opinion, they believe that following Michael Ben-Ari's disqualification to run for the Knesset, there is a legal precedent they can use to bring about our arrest as well."

However, contrary to the suggestions in the lawsuit filed by the Reformers to the Attorney General, Gopstein is convinced that his comments against the Arabs bothered them less. "The real aim of the Reformers is to halt my anti-assimilation activities; this is what primarily bothers them," he says, elaborating: "The Reformers aim to make the Jewish people like any other nation, Heaven forbid, and as part of this plan, they removed the word 'Jerusalem' from their prayer books and sanctified a fight against everything related to Jewish tradition, so this is the main issue troubling them."

Gopstein recounts a systematic battle waged by the Reformers against him and his colleagues over the past years: "In their struggle against me and my associates, the Reformers try to stop our activities by any means," he explains. "They send letters to the Attorney General with numerous accusations against us, and when one letter proves futile, they begin searching for the next potential gripe to accuse us and halt our actions. All the while, they are accompanied by first-rate lawyers, some of whom collaborate out of a clear anti-Jewish ideal. Amidst these persecutions, two years ago they appealed to the High Court and succeeded in formulating the current indictment."

At this point, Michael Ben-Ari wishes to add that this is not merely Gopstein's personal trial but that of all loyal Judaism. "It's clear to me that once they manage to imprison Gopstein, their next step will be to battle the rabbis. Note that they managed to fight Rabbi Eliyahu, who ruled in the past that selling homes to Arabs in Safed is forbidden, and now he cannot state this for fear of an indictment. The Reformers even openly declared that the trial against me is just the beginning. Next, they plan to fight to silence the rabbis of Israel."

Your claim, that the court is biased in favor of the Reformers, can you point to behavior that proves this in the current indictment?

"Yes," says Gopstein", the High Court in this case serves the personal interests of the Reformers. Proof of this can be seen by the court's agreement to involve the Reformers as a party to a case not directly related to them."

Gopstein is confident that the apparent bias of the court is evident in the different treatment of things he said, defined as incitement, compared to statements made by others in the past, for which the court did nothing.

As an example, he points to the infamous campaign conducted by Avigdor Lieberman during the last election campaign. "Note that much harsher things were said about the ultra-Orthodox," he says, "and yet, never was an indictment filed against those inciting. Meanwhile, according to the standards set by the court in my indictment, Lieberman should have been arrested long ago for incitement against the ultra-Orthodox community, and Naftali Bennett should have faced a tough indictment for saying he wants 'maximum territory with minimum Arabs.' And so it goes: Miri Regev said the Sudanese are 'like a cancerous lesion.' All this was before we talk about the Joint List MK, Heba Yazbak, who said far graver things. In all these instances, the court did nothing. There is clear discrimination against us because we lack the power politicians hold, and primarily due to our activities, especially those involved in the fight against assimilation."

Against this backdrop, Gopstein assesses that the court will indeed have to eventually dismiss the indictment against him. "But," he adds, "if there were real justice in the judicial system, I wouldn't be on trial at all."

The Reformers Are Helping Us Publicize the Organization's Activities

Does the Reformer persecution harm your activities?

Gopstein responds that the reality is a bit more complex. "It does make it harder to continue daily operations," he explains, "because of the need to deal with legal defense, but on the other hand, it also aids in exposing the organization due to the Reformers' actions. Thanks to the trial and, for instance, an article published subsequently in 'Yedioth Ahronoth,' many people learned about the 'Lahava' organization's activities, as well as those of other groups fighting assimilation, like 'Hidabroot' with which we collaborate, so in a way, the Reformers, in their war against us, have brought the organization to public awareness, making people feel empowered to fight for the daughters of Israel and know they have places where they can find a listening ear and assistance.

"What’s certain," Gopstein notes, "is that we have no plans to, Heaven forbid, stop our activities. We operate for the sake of Heaven, and we have no intention of changing a jot due to such pressure."

(Illustrative Photo: Flash 90)

How do you actually fight assimilation?

"Our work primarily involves bringing important, urgent matters to the forefront, and as we’ve said before, when it hurts, you have to shout. There are phenomena that must be shouted against. Be it the issue of assimilation that has unfortunately reached our holy land, or the phenomenon of various debasement organizations, which the majority of the public rejects but fears to oppose these trends. In a place where there is no one to act, the text tells us to strive to be a person, so my colleagues and I have decided to cry out bitterly and act as much as possible in every way possible to uphold the Jewish embers entrusted to us for generations."

"Globally," Gopstein explains, "assimilation mainly occurs between Jews and Christians. Many Jews worldwide, most of them secular, tragically descend to the depths and enter mixed marriages. Here in the land, it mainly manifests through Jewish girls, pure and virtuous daughters of Israel, who fall into the cruel trap set by young Arabs. It often starts from work relations or random encounters. For Arab youth, Jewish girls are easy prey because Arab villages restrict them due to 'family honor.' Therefore, they seek Jewish girls."

The activities of the 'Lahava' organization vary, including, according to Gopstein, a variety of means like persuasion campaigns; active assistance in funding and providing housing for women fleeing from relationships with Arabs.

However, 'Lahava' primarily engages in preventive activities. "Many good organizations operate in the field of preventing assimilation, foremost among them the 'Hidabroot' organization, of course. We mainly undertake educational activities, sending activists to areas prone to these issues, where they prevent young Arabs from connecting with Jewish girls. And indeed, with Hashem's help, we witness great successes, and as it is said: 'Whoever saves a single life of Israel is as if he has saved an entire world.'"

And what is your message to a young Jewish woman considering binding her fate, Heaven forbid, with an Arab?

"A Jewish girl must understand that aside from the severe and grave prohibition of assimilating with other nations, her children will be identity-less: she might want them to be Jewish, while the father demands, even by force, that they follow Islam—this includes fasting during Ramadan and children growing up as Muslims, separated, Heaven forbid, from the Jewish people. All this before we even discuss the future awaiting her in a marriage that often turns violent and difficult. I reach out from here to every Jewish woman and tell her: 'You are a daughter of a king.' Remember that."