Bentzi Gopstein

Bentzi Gopstein
Gopstein in 2016
Born
Ben-Zion Gophstein

(1969-09-10) September 10, 1969 (age 54)
OccupationKahanist activism
Known forFounding Lehava
Political partyOtzma Yehudit
SpouseAnat Gopstein
Children8

Ben-Zion "Bentzi" Gopstein (Hebrew: בן־ציון "בנצי" גופשטיין, born 10 September 1969) is a political activist affiliated with the far-right in Israel, a student of Meir Kahane, and founder[1] and director of Lehava, an Israeli Jewish anti-assimilation organization. He was a member of the Council of Kiryat Arba, 2010–2013. In November 2019, he was indicted on charges of incitement to terrorism, violence, and racism.[2] In April 2024, he was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State[3] and the European Union.[4][5]

He is listed with his name spelled in several variations on the sanctions list of the U.S. Department of the Treasury[6]

  1. ^ Tal Ariel-Amir (20 May 2016). "המרכז שנלחם בארגון להב"ה: "כסות יהודית שנועדה להסתיר גזענות"" [Center fighting organization Lehava: 'Using Judaism as a cloak to conceal racism']. Maariv (in Hebrew).
  2. ^ Sharon, Jeremy (26 November 2019). "Lehava head Bentzi Gopstein indicted for incitement to terror, racism". The Jerusalem Post.
  3. ^ "Designations Related to Destabilizing Activities Affecting the West Bank". U.S. Department of State. 19 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as violent activists, blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza: five individuals and three entities sanctioned under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime". Council of the EU. 15 July 2024.
  5. ^ O'Carroll, Lisa; Beaumont, Peter (19 April 2024). "Extremist Israeli settlers hit by EU and US sanctions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Sanctions List Search". Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Treasury. Retrieved 29 August 2024.