A Jewish extremist in Israel is being let off the hook on assault charges for an unusual reason, according to the Israeli media.

The extremist, Benzi Gopstein, attacked two left-wing Israeli activists near Hebron in 2008. The incident was caught on video, and Gopstein was later indicted for assault.

On Sunday, though, an Israeli judge acquitted Gopstein of the charges because the two left-wing Israeli activists he assaulted could plausibly have been Palestinians.

Gopstein’s lawyer had argued that Gopstein thought the activists were Palestinians who were trying to break into a Jewish settlement with violent intent.

Here’s video of the assault:

Gopstein is the leader of the far-right Israeli-Jewish group Lehava, or “The Flame,” which is radically opposed to Jews marrying Christians or Muslims. Lehava members are mostly young and uneducated; they are known in Israel for patrolling the streets of Jerusalem looking for mixed-race couples, and for chanting "Death To Arabs" during their marches.

Gopstein himself has called for banning Christmas in Israel, deporting Christians from the country and torching their churches. He’s currently being investigated for incitement.

--HS