Police raided a number of homes in the Samaria community of Itamar belonging to activists of the anti-assimilation and intermarriage group Lehava and arrested Lehava activists, claiming that the activists are suspected of threatening others. Among those arrested was the Chairman of Lehava, Bentzi Gopstein. They were not summoned for questioning before the arrests.

Gopstein’s attorney, Itamar Ben-Gvir, attributed the arrests to ulterior motives, noting that, in two weeks, police are to give a response to a petition of Reform movement activists demanding that Gopstein and Lehava be put on trial.

“It is not impossible that, out of pressure from radical leftists, police are carrying out their bidding, acting in accordance [with their wishes] and arresting Lehava activists in ostentatious arrests, without bothering to summon [the activists] for questioning.”

Gopstein and his activists consistently assert that their activity has never deviated from the law. In interviews with media, Gopstein has called on all relevant authorities to examine Lehava activity and see that this is, indeed, the case.