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‘Far right Israeli activist Benzi Gopstein was acquitted Sunday for his 2008 “beat down” on left-wing activists in Hebron, even though it was caught on video and went viral.
In a verdict that echoed George Zimmerman’s “stand your ground” case in Florida in which African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was killed, the judge agreed with Gopstein that he acted in self-defense, insisting the video proved his argument.
Gopstein, director of Israeli Jewish “anti-assimilation” group Lehava, welcomed the decision, claiming he was defending himself when he grabbed an activist by the throat after “Palestinians and anarchists” entered the illegal settlement Kiryat Arba. He added: “In hindsight, I should’ve beaten them harder, but maybe there’ll be other chances.”‘