Rome – The Vatican called on the Attorney-General on Sunday to indict Lehava head Benzi Gopstein on suspicion of incitement to violence and terrorism.
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The letter, filed by the Vatican’s representative in Israel, Custodia da Terra Santa, to Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein, followed comments made by Gopstein last week in favor of burning down churches in Israel. Lehava is a radical anti-assimilation and anti-missionary organization which has stirred great controversy since its founding in 2009.
During a panel debate on idol worship last Tuesday, Gopstein cited Maimonides’s ruling that Christianity is idolatry which needs to be destroyed, in accordance with the commandment in Deuteronomy to destroy idol worship in the Land of Israel. Thus, in theory, Gopstein said he was in favor of burning churches in Israel.
The Vatican’s letter stresses that urgent action must be taken against Gopstein “in the face of real danger to churches and Christian communities in Israel,” as a result of his remarks. The move follows a complaint filed to the police on Friday by Father Pietro Felet, Secretary General of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land. The complaint was filed on behalf of some 20 patriarchs and bishops to express concern over growing security challenges to christian communities and their holy sites in Israel and the West Bank.
Father Felet mentioned in his complaint several attacks on Christian holy sites by radical groups, and hinted that in the vast majority of these incidents, the perpetrators were not brought to justice.
Gopstein took to Facebook to react to the letter, saying that he “views gravely” the Vatican’s “intervention in halachic discussions.”
“It’s time to remind the Vatican that gone is the censorship period in which they censored Jewish books,” he added.
He also lashed out at Benny Rabinowitz, a journalist and editor with the Yated Ne’eman haredi (ultra-Orthodox) daily newspaper, who drew and recorded Gopstein’s inflammatory statements when he asked him directly whether he is in favor of burning Christian churches in Israel. Gopstein has clarified that his comments were only made in the context of theoretical Jewish law and that he was not calling for operative steps by individuals.
This idiot Gopstien has created a huge chilul hashem by even lending legitimacy to such terrorism, even in a theoretical sense. He should be tried for inciting riots and violence and hopefully suffer a painful life in prison. I couldn’t care who he is quoting. When will these idiots use common sense before spouting off.
we need to remember that shtikah is better than talking
Whether he’s to be indicted or not isn’t the point however, I think it’s time to indict the church for 2000 years of spreading bubbeh maysos.
let this Vatican custoian (his title not mine) worry about ISIS burning Christians alive.
Palease! He told no one to actually do it. However, it is still part of the Lutheran/Protestant doctrine to burn down shuls. Repeating the words in a doctrine without calling for action, is not inciting violence.
Prison is for criminals while idiots go somewhere else. Clearly Gopstein is an idiot but so are you. If yu believe an idiot should suffer painfully as you say then you must be a self hating lunatic. Don’t get me wrong I see Gopstein as a rodef and evil but I am not agreeing with you.
Indeed Gopstein’s remarks would have been better unsaid. That being said one can’t miss noticing that this pope is absolutely silent when Iran hangs Christians for heresy and the Arabs of the west bank of Israel chase virtually of all the Christians from the territory which they control. The pope is certainly aware of Christian persecution in Muslim lands, this is merely his anti-semitism coming out of his un-holiness’ closet. Remember, Gopstein spoke inappropriately about burning churches, a gruesome thought, but the Vatican’s boys did it many times to us throughout history. I don’t justify Gopstein’s remarks, I just take notice of this pope’s hypocricy.
All’s well and good but, where are the actions taken about the elimination of christians from all moslem countries.Even in bethlehem the christians are leaving and the population is decreasing year by year.The holy see saw fit to proclaim a palestinian state. HUH ?
Dear anonymous: He quoted the Rambam. If indeed the halacha is so, why would you have a problem with it? Because its not PC?
Gopstein was referring to this: “You shall utterly destroy from all the places where the nations, that you shall possess, worshipped their gods, upon the lofty mountains and upon the hills, and under every lush tree. And you shall tear down their altars, smash their monuments, burn their asherim with fire, cut down the graven images of their gods, and destroy their name from that place” He wasn’t saying it can or should be done nowadays, when we do not have true Jewish courts. Maybe the person from Vatican City never read Deuteronomy.
Hey! This pope forgot about turning the other cheek?
The Pope is a hypocrite. Shut up, or denounce the suffering we still go through every single day. Ze hu.
That’s why I dont buy yated or hamodia anymore
The real question is why is he butting in to Israeli affairs, who asked him for his comments, we don’t tell him who to prosecute in the Vatican