Irving David Rubin (April 12, 1945 – November 13, 2002) was a Canadian-born American political and religious activist who served as chairman of the

Jewish Defense League The Jewish Defense League (JDL) is a far-right political organization in the United States and Canada. Its stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"; it has been classified as "right-wing terrorist group" ...

(JDL) from 1985 to 2002. He committed suicide in jail when awaiting trial on charges of

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

to bomb private and government property.

Early life and activism

Rubin was born in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec. He and his parents and sister moved to

Granada Hills, California Granada Hills is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The community has a sports program and a range of city recreation centers. The neighborhood has fourteen public and ten private schools. History The Granada Hills ...

, a neighbourhood of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, which has a large

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

population. He became a United States citizen and served as a sergeant in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

. He was a staunch supporter of the

right to keep and bear arms The right to keep and bear arms (often referred to as the right to bear arms) is a legal right for people to possess weapons (arms) for the preservation of life, liberty, and property. The purpose of gun rights is for Self-defense#Armed, self ...

. In 1978, Rubin offered a $500 bounty to anyone who would wound or kill a member of the

American Nazi Party The American Nazi Party (ANP) is an American neo-Nazi Political parties in the United States, political party founded by George Lincoln Rockwell in 1959. In Rockwell's time, it was headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It was renamed the Natio ...

. Indicted on

solicitation of murder Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...

charges, he was acquitted in 1981.

Jewish Defense League activism

Rubin became the successor to JDL founder

Rabbi Meir Kahane Meir David HaKohen Kahane ( ; ; born Martin David Kahane; August 1, 1932 – November 5, 1990) was an American-born Israeli Orthodox ordained rabbi, writer and ultra-nationalist politician. Founder of the Israeli political party Kach—w ...

, after Kahane moved to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in 1985 and formed the Kach Party, which was eventually outlawed by the Israeli government as

racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

. In 1985, it was reported that Rubin said about the bombing of the home of historian and

Holocaust denier Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims: *Nazi Germany's "Final Solution" wa ...

Dr. George Ashley, "It's too bad that Mr. Ashley wasn't blown up" and "I applaud those who took such actions. I think these people have a righteous place in the world." Moderate Jews also criticized him. Rob Eshman, the Editor-in-Chief of the ''Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'' commented: "In the solar system of Jewish life, Irv Rubin is Pluto", and asserted "Here in Los Angeles, for years now Rubin has been escorted out of far more Jewish events than he's ever been invited in to." In 1985,

Alex Odeh Alexander Michel Odeh (; April 4, 1944 – October 11, 1985) was a Palestinians, Palestinian activist. Odeh was serving as West Coast of the United States, West Coast regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) whe ...

, the local chairman of the pro-

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) states that it is "the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States." According to its webpage, it is open to people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicitie ...

(ADC) was killed by a bomb while opening the door to his

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...

office. Rubin was suspected, and further antagonized his opponents by saying that "Odeh got what he deserved." However, the JDL insisted the attack was committed by others. The

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

was unable to prove its original allegations. The crime remains unsolved. The investigation of Rubin was headed by FBI special agent Mary Hogan, the same agent who signed the affidavit accusing Rubin of planning to destroy government property and other targets in 2001. Before joining the Libertarian Party in 2000, Irv Rubin was an active Republican, and served as a page at the

1964 Republican National Convention The 1964 Republican National Convention took place in the Cow Palace, Daly City, California, from July 13 to July 16, 1964. Before 1964, there had been only one national Republican convention on the West Coast, the 1956 Republican National Convent ...

, at which

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

was nominated to run for the presidency. Rubin's joining the Libertarian Party was greeted with shock by many members because of the allegations of terrorism against both the JDL and Rubin himself. Membership requires a pledge to not "initiate force." In June 2001, Rubin let it be known that he was considering running for governor of California on the Libertarian ticket, renewing controversies among libertarians. In an attempt to disrupt the events, Rubin regularly attended rallies held by the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...

and

Aryan Nations Aryan Nations is a North American antisemitic, neo-Nazi and white supremacist hate group that was originally based in Kootenai County, Idaho, about miles (4.4 km) north of the city of Hayden Lake. Richard Girnt Butler founded Aryan N ...

. He was regularly assisted by some of his followers. During the civil suit brought by the SPLC against Aryan Nations founder and Pastor Richard Butler held in

Coeur d' Alene, Idaho Cœur is the French word for heart, and may refer to: * ''Cœurs'', a 2006 French film by Alain Resnais * "Cœur" (song), a song by Zoé Clauzure which won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2023 * Coeur (playing cards), a brand of playing card ...

, in 2000, Rubin stayed for at least 4 days holding vigil during the proceedings. He frequently spoke out against Butler and his followers who were also holding vigil.

Appearances on television

Rubin made a number of televised appearances during his lifetime. These include a lively 1988 debate on ''

Crossfire A crossfire (also known as interlocking fire) is a military term for the siting of weapons (often automatic weapons such as assault rifles or sub-machine guns) so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I. ...

'' with

black nationalist Black nationalism is a nationalist movement which seeks representation for Black people as a distinct national identity, especially in racialized, colonial and postcolonial societies. Its earliest proponents saw it as a way to advocate for ...

Steve Cokely, shortly following a controversial lecture that Cokely gave in which he stated his belief that Jewish doctors were inoculating

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

babies with the

HIV virus The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the imm ...

, appearing on the

History Channel History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...

documentary ''Nazi America: A Secret History'', and an October 22, 1997 appearance on the ''

Jerry Springer Show ''Jerry Springer'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Jerry Springer. The show ran for twenty-seven seasons from September 30, 1991, to July 26, 2018, in which it broadcast 3,891 episodes. It was taped at the NBC ...

'', in which he and his bodyguards scuffled with members of the

after he attacked a member of the KKK who mocked him by removing his hood to reveal a

yarmulke A (plural: ''kippot''), , or is a brimless Jewish skullcap, usually made of cloth, traditionally worn by Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that the head be covered. It is the most common type of head-covering worn by men in ...

. One of the more celebrated debates that Rubin had was with Klansman and founder of the

White Aryan Resistance White Aryan Resistance (WAR) is a white supremacist and neo-Nazi organization in the United States which was founded and formerly led by former Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon Tom Metzger. It was based in Warsaw, Indiana, and it was also incorpora ...

Tom Metzger Thomas Linton Metzger (April 9, 1938 – November 4, 2020) was an American white supremacist, neo-Nazi leader and Klansman. He founded White Aryan Resistance (WAR), a neo-Nazi organization, in 1983. He was a Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan i ...

on KDOC Channel 56's '' Hot Seat'' with

Wally George Wally George (born Walter George Pearch, Jr.; December 4, 1931 – October 5, 2003) was an American conservative radio and television commentator. Calling himself the "Father of Combat TV," he was a fixture on Southern California television ...

. The debate was cut off after Rubin threw a cup of water in Metzger's face. Security intervened and police were called.

Organized crime

The FBI suspected Rubin of running a protection racket against Los Angeles rappers including

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

and

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. Eazy-E is often re ...

, issuing threats and then offering to protect the rappers. He was involved in a cross-country grand theft auto racket where new Honda Accords would be stolen from ports on the East Coast, driven across country, and sold for $12,000. Several of Rubin's associates were implicated in an FBI sting called "Operation Stow Biz" concerning extortion with moving companies.

2001 conspiracy charges

On December 12, 2001, Rubin and

Earl Krugel Earl Leslie Krugel (November 24, 1942 – November 4, 2005) was the coordinator of the Jewish Defense League in the Western United States. In 2005, he was sentenced to prison on charges of terrorism after he confessed to plotting, with the gr ...

, a member of the JDL, were charged with conspiracy to bomb private and government property. The two allegedly were caught in the act of planning bomb attacks against the King Fahd

Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights, Californi ...

, and on the office of

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

Darrell Issa Darrell Edward Issa ( ; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 48th congressional district. He represented the 50th congressional district from 2021 to 2023. A memb ...

(R-CA), who is a Christian of Lebanese and Czech descent. The two were arrested as part of a

sting operation In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an undercover law enforcement officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a rol ...

after an FBI informant named Danny Gillis delivered

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...

s to Krugel's home in L.A. The JDL claims that Danny Gillis struck a deal with the FBI to neutralize the JDL by infiltrating the organization and by arranging criminal charges of its leadership. However, according to the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles, Gillis was a former JDL member who joined the organization due to conflicts with white skinheads. According to journalist David Sheen, Rubin via his attorney Mark Werksman, offered one of Rubin's disgruntled criminal associates "Moshe V" $50,000 to kill Gillis. On February 4, 2003,

, Rubin's first lieutenant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges stemming from the plot. This plea was later withdrawn by the presiding Judge, and he was charged with additional crimes which, if convicted, could result in a 55-year imprisonment in a federal penitentiary. The plea bargain was apparently reinstated in late September 2005, and the 62-year-old Krugel was sentenced to 20 years in federal detention, after an initial plea agreement based on his revealing the names of those involved in the Alex Odeh bomb plot was withdrawn. On November 4, 2005, he was killed after being transferred to a Phoenix federal prison. Another inmate struck Krugel on the head from behind with a cement block. IRV RUBIN

Death in prison

In November 2002, while imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles awaiting trial, Rubin allegedly cut his own throat and then jumped off an balcony. He had been threatening suicide in the days before. The injuries from the fall resulted in his death at Los Angeles County General Hospital several days later. Rubin's wife demanded an investigation. Defense attorney Mark Werksman said that Rubin had been despondent for months, losing , and that the pressure of an upcoming trial "may have pushed him over the top."JDL chairman Irv Rubin attempts suicide
, November 4, 2002. The Rubin family launched a wrongful death suit against the government."Family of JDL Leader Rubin Sues Gov't",

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

, January 24, 2003.

References

External links

Reuters article on suicide attemptAnti-Defamation League statement condemning the JDL attacksJewish Defense League BiographyFederal case (pdf)Federal filing (pdf)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubin, Irv 1945 births 2002 suicides 20th-century American Jews 21st-century Canadian Jews Activists from Montreal American activists American Kahanists American people imprisoned on terrorism charges American people who died in prison custody Canadian Kahanists Canadian people who died in prison custody Canadian emigrants to the United States Jewish American activists Jewish Canadian activists People who died by suicide in prison custody Perpetrators of religiously motivated violence in the United States Prisoners who died in United States federal government detention Canadian people imprisoned in the United States Skokie Controversy United States Air Force airmen Suicides by jumping in California California Republicans California Libertarians People from Granada Hills, Los Angeles Members of the Jewish Defense League