Lehava (להב"ה "Flame," Hebrew: למניעת התבוללות בארץ הקודשLiMniat Hitbolelut B'eretz HaKodesh; Prevention of Assimilation in the Holy Land) is a far-right and Jewish supremacist[1] organization based in Israel that strictly opposes Jewish assimilation, objecting to most personal relationships between Jews and non-Jews.[2][3][4] It is opposed to the Christian presence in Israel.[5] It has an anti-intermarriage focus, denouncing marriages between Jews and non-Jews forbidden by Orthodox Jewish law.[6] The group has over 10,000 members.[7] In 2024, the United States placed Lehava and its leader, Bentzi Gopstein, on a sanctions list for their role in fomenting Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupiedWest Bank, labeling Lehava "the largest violent extremist organization in Israel."[8]
Etymology
Lehava (להב"ה) is an acronym for the Hebrew phrase LiMniat Hitbolelut B'eretz HaKodesh (For the Prevention of Assimilation in the Holy Land). It is also the Hebrew word for "flame",[9] implying a keeping of the flame or faith, giving the phrase a double meaning.
Prominent members and supporters
Lehava's CEO is Bentzi Gopstein, a disciple of Meir Kahane, a U.S.-born rabbi who promoted the forced expulsion of most Palestinians and Arab Israelis from Israel and the Palestinian territories.[10][11][12] Gopstein had run-ins with the police for disorderly conduct while active with Kahane's movement Kach, which was banned from Israeli politics as racist in 1988.[13] The U.S. State Department identified Kach as a terrorist organization in 1994. Its splinter group, Kahane Chai, also "condones violence as a viable method for establishing a religiously homogenous [sic] state." In 2006 decision, a U.S. Federal Court determined on appeal that Kach was correctly listed as a terrorist organization.[14][original research?]
Lehava employs a number of Kahanist figures, including politician Baruch Marzel, formerly of the outlawed Kach movement.[15][16][17]Michael Ben-Ari, a former Israeli Member of Knesset who still views himself as Meir Kahane's follower, is Lehava's spokesman.[18][19][20] The lawyer defending Lehava members arrested in December 2014, attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, is another one of the most prominent Kahanists in Israel.[16]
A closely associated NPO called Hemla (Mercy), which for many years focused on "saving the daughters of Israel" from mixed marriages with Arab men, has received up to $175,000 per year from the state between 2005 and 2013. In 2011, an investigation by Haaretz first brought the issue to light. Part of the amount went as a salary to Bentzi Gopstein, Hemla's public relations director.[15][21]
Lehava is closely associated with the political party Otzma Yehudit, which is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir; the party shares its headquarters with Lehava in Jerusalem, and in 2014, police raided their headquarters.[22][23]
In January 2015, the Israeli TV channel Channel 2 reported that Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon might be preparing to categorize Lehava as a terrorist organization. Ya'alon was reported to have ordered the Shin Bet and the Defense Ministry to assemble evidence required for the classification, although ultimately no such classification occurred. Three members of Lehava were arrested and indicted in 2014 for committing arson and spray-painting anti-Arab graffiti at the Max Rayne Hand in Hand: Center for Jewish Arab Education in Israel (Yad B'Yad) Bilingual School in Jerusalem, and Lehava's leader, Bentzi Gopstein, along with other group members, was arrested shortly thereafter for incitement.[24] The arson incident received international attention. Reuters reports that government action against Lehava has only come following months of petitioning by "left-leaning Israelis and media commentators".[25] In response, Gopstein issued a statement harshly critical of Ya'alon: "I suggest that [Ya'alon] aim to outlaw the Islamist Movement and then preoccupy itself with an anti-assimilation group... Instead of taking care of an enemy of Israel, the defense minister is trying to win over votes from the Left [by] taking on Lehava. The group acts to save the daughters of Israel [Jewish women] and deserves the Israel Prize."[26] The group has over 10,000 members, with chapters in every city.[7]
Lehava activist. The inscription on the flag reads "The Jewish Honor Guard / Fighting assimilation / With devotion and love we will protect every Jewish woman." Jerusalem 2023
Opposition to interfaith marriages
The organization gained notoriety in 2010 after sending an open letter to Israeli Jewish supermodel Bar Refaeli urging her to break off her relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who is Roman Catholic.[16][17][27]
Multiple rebbetzins, acting on behalf of Lehava, issued an open letter urging Israeli women not to associate with "non-Jews". Haaretz quoted the letter as saying, "Don't date non-Jews, don't work at places that non-Jews frequent, and don't do national service with non-Jews;" the letter implied that if they did so, they would be cut off from their "holy race".[28] The letter caused a controversy and was denounced by other rabbis.[29][30] When a poll was conducted of Jewish Israelis' reaction to the letters denouncing those who rent or sell homes to non-Jews, 44 per cent of Israeli Jews supported the rabbis' call, while 48 per cent were opposed.[31]
The organization has also spoken out against Mark Zuckerberg's marriage to Priscilla Chan.[32]
In 2014, it organized hostile protests against a mixed couple from Jaffa, objecting to the marriage of Mahmoud Mansour, an Israeli Arab, and his bride-to-be, Morel Malka, who converted from Judaism to Islam ahead of the wedding. The group was reported as saying, "Please come with positive energy and bring loudspeakers and horns. We will ask our sister to return home with us to the Jewish people who are waiting for her", by the Israeli news site Arutz Sheva. When the couple appealed to a court to ban the demonstration, a judgement was handed down allowing the protest to proceed, but no closer than 200 metres away from the site of the ceremony in the Israeli town of Rishon Letzion.[33]Haaretz reported that the protesters chanted "death to leftists" and "death to Arabs", despite one of the organizers trying to calm them down.[34]
In 2013, it started a Facebook page with the purpose of identifying mixed Arab–Jewish couples. Still, the page was shut down in 2014 after there were numerous complaints. It had become a repository of racist comments. Liat Bar-Stav, a journalist who went undercover in the Lehava organization, described how their members looked for Jewish females who might be dating Arabs. If members thought they had discovered any, they would follow Gopstein's instructions: approach the woman, and forward her phone number to the organization for further action. "You approach the girl and say, 'Excuse me, I don't have a phone. May I make a call?' You call your phone, and that's how you get the number", Gopstein explained to the activists he coached.[35]
In addition to opposing interfaith marriages, Lehava has encouraged Israelis to report to the organization the names of Jews who rent to Arabs, so that they can be "named and shamed" publicly.[36] In 2012, the group distributed flyers in east Jerusalem warning Arabs not to visit the mostly Jewish western side of the city. It also campaigned against Jews and Arabs mixing on beaches.[37]
In November 2014, four activists in the group were arrested in Petah Tikva after they distributed propaganda material, then attacked and wounded police.[38] Liat Bar-Stav described a meeting that Gopstein led for his followers, in which he said to them, "Some 45 years ago, Rabbi Kahane said, shouted, and cried out that the enemies within us are a cancer, and that if we don't take this cancer and get rid of it, we won't continue to exist. Unfortunately, this dangerous cancer of co-existence has metastasized everywhere. There are various ministers in the government who are encouraging co-existence, who are giving them jobs, allowing them into the hi-tech world, allowing them to become doctors." As the crowd responded with booing and cheering, Gopstein continued: "The cancer we spoke about in the beginning has offshoots in the Knesset of Israel too. Thirty years ago, Rabbi Kahane stood up in the Knesset and took out a hangman's noose for traitors, a noose for the Arab MK who was there. It's not a threat, it's a promise, the rabbi said when attacked for doing so. So this is what I want to wish (former MK Azmi) Bishara on behalf of all of you." At this point, Gopstein waved a noose. "Your day will come, Azmi! We are waiting for the Israeli government to come and hang you from the tallest tree! Azmi, only thanks to Rabbi Kahane will we make sure you are hanged one day."[35]
In December 2014, three members of Lehava were arrested and charged with the 29 November arson at an integrated Arab-Jewish school. The suspects, Yitzhak Gabbai, and brothers Nahman Twito and Shlomo Twito, attacked the school, according to Shin Bet, "because Jews and Arabs learn together at the school, and the goal was to put opposition to co-existence and assimilation in the public eye".[39] In courtroom photos, the three members of the radical group are shown smiling and smirking as they faced charges.[40] Within days of their arrest, police completed a raid on the homes of several Lehava members. Lehava's chairman, Bentzi Gopstein, was among those arrested.[41]
Anti-LGBT
In 2017, Lehava protested the Jerusalem gay pride parade.[42][43] Prior to the 2018 march, Gopstein called LGBT activists "terrorists" and urged supporters to counterdemonstrate with banners saying "Jerusalem is not Sodom". Four Lehava supporters were arrested during the parade.[44] In 2020, Lehava urged its supporters to infiltrate the parade.[45]
Lehava protest against Jerusalem gay pride parade 2023. Signs: "Don't give them children" and "Jerusalem is not Sedom"
Lehava had organized demonstrations protesting the presence of Christians in Israel, and in late 2015 demonstrated before the Jerusalem International YMCA, with the crowd shouting: "The Arabs won't defeat us with knives, and the Christians won't buy us with presents!"[5] Gopstein wrote an article for a local website, Kooker, in which he declared: "Missionary work must not be given a foothold... Let's throw the vampires out of our land before they drink our blood again."[5] He also called for a ban on the Christmas holiday.[citation needed]
Opposition to Lehava
Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the Israeli liberal Judaism primary advocacy organization, asserts that Lehava is racist, and maintains a public relations campaign against Lehava and Gopstein. In May 2016, IRAC stepped up the campaign, releasing statistics showing that Lehava's social media efforts were generating approximately 200,000 anti-Arab hate postings per year to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, about a quarter of which call for physical violence against Arabs. Facebook deleted seven Lehava accounts because of improper conduct, but Lehava continues to generate Facebook postings via other accounts.[46]
In May 2016, the Anti-Defamation League sent a letter to Israel's Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, encouraging action to be taken to curb Lehava and Gopstein. In the letter, the ADL says that Gopstein calls Christians "bloodsucking vampires", condoned burning Christian churches, and that his Facebook page includes anti-LGBT posts, as well as ones the ADL calls "extremely abusive, racist, inflammatory, and violent". The ADL protested Israel's ongoing acceptance of Lehava's "hateful discourse" as detrimental to the country, and that it gives "a weapon [to] Israel's enemies, who use it as a basis for their rushed conclusions and generalizations about Israeli society".[47]
In 2024, the US imposed sanctions on the organization and its leader Bentzi Gopstein, according to this announcement Lehva is "the largest violent extremist organization in Israel ... LEHAVA’s members have engaged in acts of violence against Palestinians, affecting the West Bank".[48]
Keamiran di Uni Emirat Arabإمارات دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدةcode: ar is deprecated (Arab)KategoriNegara federalLetakUni Emirat ArabJumlah wilayah7Penduduk68,000 (Umm al-Quwain) – 1,678,000 (Abu Dhabi)Luas260 km2 (100 sq mi) (Ajman) – 67.000 km2 (26.000 sq mi) (Abu Dhabi)PemerintahanEmiratPembagian administratifKota besar, Kota, Desa Pembagian administratif Uni Emirat Arab terdiri atas 7 emirat yang masing-masing dibagi...
1988 video game 1988 video gameR.C. Pro-AmNorth American NES cover artDeveloper(s)RarePublisher(s)Nintendo (NES)Tradewest (Genesis)Designer(s)Tim StamperChris StamperProgrammer(s)Paul Proctor (NES)Steve Patrick (Genesis)Composer(s)David WisePlatform(s)Nintendo Entertainment System, Arcade, Sega GenesisRelease February 1988 NESNA: February 1988EU: April 15, 1988Sega GenesisNA: 1992 Genre(s)Racing, vehicular combatMode(s)Single-playerArcade systemPlayChoice-10 R.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game...
Football match2006 International Rules SeriesEventInternational Rules Series Ireland Australia 79 109 Australia win series 109–79 on aggregateFirst test Ireland Australia 48 40 Date28 October 2006VenuePearse Stadium, GalwayRefereePat McEnaney (Ireland)[1]Shane McInerney (Australia)[1]Attendance35,000Second test Australia Ireland 69 31 Date5 November 2006VenueCroke Park, DublinRefereeDavid Coldrick (Ireland)[1]Shane McInerney (Australia)[1]Attendance82,127 (Se...
Bangsa IrlandiaMuintir na hÉireannJumlah populasica. 70–80 juta di seluruh dunia[1] Daerah dengan populasi signifikan Republik Irlandia 4,045,473 (perkiraan 2020)[2] Irlandia Utara 1,900,200 (perkiraan 2020)[3] Amerika Serikat40,000,000+[4] Britania Raya (tidak termasuk Irlandia Utara)14,000,000 (650,000 generasi pertama)[5][6] Australia7,000,000[7] Kanada4,627,000[8...
مقاطعة تلسا علم الإحداثيات 36°07′N 95°56′W / 36.12°N 95.94°W / 36.12; -95.94 [1] تاريخ التأسيس 1905 سبب التسمية تلسا تقسيم إداري البلد الولايات المتحدة[2][3] التقسيم الأعلى أوكلاهوما العاصمة تلسا التقسيمات الإدارية تلسا خصائص جغرا...
Сульфіди заліза — загальна назва неорганічних сполук, до складу яких входять залізо (Fe) та сірка (S). Сульфіди заліза мають широке розмаїття стохіометричних формул і утворюють багато різних кристалічних ґраток. Природні мінерали Сульфіди заліза утворюють низку природн
Морочковський Семен ФилимоновичНародився 13 січня 1897(1897-01-13)Сміла, Черкаський повіт, Київська губернія, Російська імперіяПомер 27 березня 1962(1962-03-27) (65 років)Київ, Українська РСР, СРСРКраїна СРСРДіяльність ботанікГалузь мікологіяНауковий ступінь доктор біологічних наук
Police Militaire du ParanáPolícia Militar do Paraná Insigne de la PMPR Création 1854 Pays Brésil Paraná Allégeance Gouvernement du État du Paraná Branche Force auxiliaire et réserve militaire de l'armée de terre brésilienne Type Police Militaire (Gendarmerie) Rôle Maintien de l'ordre public Effectif Approximativement 21 800 Garnison Curitiba - CapitaleCommandement Général Surnom PMPR Devise Votre sécurité est notre engagement.Sua proteção é nosso compromisso. Ma...
هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (نوفمبر 2019) الحرب العالمية الأولى مع عقارب الساعة من الأعلى: الخنادق على طول الحدود الفرنسية الألمانية، دبابة مارك-5 بريطانية خلال عبورها للخنادق، البارجة البريطانية ...
PhotoplaySampul keluaran Desember 1921 yang menampilkan Lillian Gish yang dilukis oleh Rolf ArmstrongKategoriFilmHiburanDidirikan1911Terbitan terakhir1980PerusahaanMacfadden PublicationsNegaraAmerika SerikatBerpusat diChicagoBahasaInggrisISSN0732-538X Photoplay adalah salah satu majalah penggemar film Amerika pertama. Majalah tersebut didirikan pada 1911 di Chicago, pada tahun yang sama saat J. Stuart Blackton mendirikan Motion Picture Story, sebuah majalah yang juga ditujukan kepada para pen...
هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (يونيو 2022) اضغط هنا للاطلاع على كيفية قراءة التصنيف قمل الماء المرتبة التصنيفية جنس التصنيف العلمي فوق النطاق حيويات مملكة عليا حقيقيات النوى مملكة...
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) VIA OpenBookDeveloperVIA TechnologiesRelease dateMay 27, 2008 (2008-05-27)PredecessorNanoBookWebsiteweb.archive.org/web/20100329072842/http://www.viaopenbook.com/ VIA OpenBook is a laptop reference design from VIA Technologies, announ...
Doulton Fountain Der Doulton Fountain ist ein Brunnen in der schottischen Stadt Glasgow. 1970 wurde das Bauwerk in die schottischen Denkmallisten in der höchsten Denkmalkategorie A aufgenommen.[1] Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte 2 Beschreibung 3 Einzelnachweise 4 Weblinks Geschichte Der Brunnen wurde für die International Exhibition, die 1888 im städtischen Kelvingrove Park angesiedelt war, erbaut. Arthur Ernest Pearce, der für das englische Unternehmen Doulton &...
First Time capsule in Georgia, United States Crypt of Civilization interior, photographed in 1939 prior to sealing The Crypt of Civilization is an impenetrable airtight chamber, built between 1937 and 1940, at the Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, Georgia. The 2,000-cubic-foot (57 m3) repository is meant not to be opened before 8113 AD. It contains numerous artifacts and sound recordings that illustrate civilization and human development to the 20th century. Classic literature and rel...
«Святий Григорій з писарями» Творець: Майстер віденської панелі Св. ГригоріяЧас створення: кінець X століттяРозміри: 20,5х12,5 смМатеріал: слонова кісткаЗберігається: Музей історії мистецтв, Відень «Святий Григорій з писарями», інша назва «Григорій Великий і Дух Святий» ...
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Swedish. (February 2013) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or l...
Kota KualasimpangKelurahanNegara IndonesiaProvinsiAcehKabupatenAceh TamiangKecamatanKota KualasimpangKode Kemendagri11.16.05.2001 Kode BPS1114040002 Luas... km²Jumlah penduduk... jiwaKepadatan... jiwa/km² Jalan utama Kuala Simpang pada masa Hindia Belanda Kota Kualasimpang merupakan salah satu kelurahan yang ada di kecamatan Kota Kualasimpang, Kabupaten Aceh Tamiang, provinsi Aceh, Indonesia. Pranala luar (Indonesia) Keputusan Menteri Dalam Negeri Nomor 050-145 Tahun 2022 tentang Pembe...
1974 poem by Rafiq Azad Bhat De Haramzada, Noile Manchitro Khaboby Rafiq AzadOriginal titleভাত দে হারামজাদা, নইলে মানচিত্র খাবোCountryBangladeshLanguageBengaliSeriesSimaboddho Jole, Simito SobujeSubject(s)Bangladesh famine of 1974Genre(s)PoemPublisherPriyomukhPublication date1974Lines33 Bhat De Haramzada, Noile Manchitro Khabo (lit. 'Give me food, bastard! Or I will engulf your map') is a famous Bengali-language Bangladeshi...
Species of flowering plant Monstera obliqua Botanical illustration of M. obliqua by Adolf Engler Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Monocots Order: Alismatales Family: Araceae Genus: Monstera Species: M. obliqua Binomial name Monstera obliquaMiq., Linnaea 18: 79 (1845) Monstera obliqua is a species of the genus Monstera native to Central and South America.[1] It is hemiepiphytic like most other Monstera species. The plant is ...
