Monthly Archives: November 2017

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, IMPJ President and CEO, responds to Deputy Minister Hotovely’s damaging comments about Diaspora Jewry.
“The nice words of the Prime Minister are not enough, Tzipi Hotovely, the Deputy Minister, cannot continue to be the public face of the State of Israel in Jewish communities around the world and we expect the Prime Minister to release the Deputy Minister from her duty.”
Responding to Likud spokesperson calling Hotovely’s comments a mistake Rabbi Kariv said “We are not talking about mistakes, we are talking about philosophies, we are talking about political attitude and unfortunately I need to say that in spite of, and with respect to the Prime Minster’s comments that condemned the comments made by the deputy minister, the TRUTH must be presented: the current Israeli government, unfortunately, is not following even one of its promises to world Jewry. It’s not only the issue of the Kotel, we cannot avoid the fact that we are in the middle of a massive wave of incitement led by senior politicians that are part of the current government.”
Watch the full interview below.

https://www.i24news.tv/en/tv/replay/daily-dose/x6afgvr

The head of Israel’s most vile hate group will finally face justice. Last week, Israel’s Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, finally decided to respond to our petition against Bentzi Gopstein, the leader of Lehava, by deciding to indict him on the charges of incitement to terrorism, violence, and racism, as well as obstruction of justice.

For the past eight years, we have been collecting data and fighting Bentzi Gopstein and Lehava. Lehava, which literally means flame, is one of the most dangerous organizations in Israel. It operates under the false pretense of preventing assimilation and “protecting the daughters of Israel” from intermarriage. They use the same tactics and misogynistic buzz as any nationalist hate group around the globe, and we have been pushing for law enforcement to act against them for years. See our video against Bentzi Gopstein and Lehava here.

This is a major victory for IRAC and all Israelis. We congratulate the Attorney General for finally acting against one of the biggest purveyors of racist inciement in Israel. There is no place for hate groups like Lehava who prey on the vulnerable in a democratic society. This is just a first step in taking action against racists like Gopstein – we will not rest unti racism has been eradicated from our society.
Yours,

Noa
PS – We hope to see you at Temple Emanu-El in New York City on December 3 for Three Weddings and a Statement, click here for more information and to RSVP.