Irving David Rubin was a Canadian-born American political and religious activist who served as chairman of the Jewish Defense League from 1985 to 2002. He committed suicide in jail when awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy to bomb private and government property.
Rubin became the successor to JDL founder Rabbi Meir Kahane, after Kahane moved to Israel in 1985 and formed the Kach Party, which was eventually outlawed by the Israeli government as racist. In 1985, it was reported that Rubin said about the bombing of the home of historian and Holocaust denier 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, the local chairman of the pro-Palestinian American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee was killed by a bomb while opening the door to his Santa Ana, California 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 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, at which Barry Goldwater was nominated to run for the presidency. Irv 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. To attempt disruption of the events, Rubin regularly attended rallies held by the Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nations. He was regularly assisted by some of his followers. During the civil suit brought by the SPLC against the Aryan Nations founder and Pastor Richard Butler held in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, 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 also made a number of televised appearances during his lifetime. These include a lively 1988 debate on Crossfire with black nationalistSteve Cokely, shortly following a controversial lecture that Cokely gave in which he stated his belief that Jewish doctors were inoculating black babies with the HIV virus, appearing on the History Channel documentary, and a memorable October 22, 1997 appearance on the Jerry Springer Show where he and his bodyguards scuffled with members of the Ku Klux Klan after he attacked a member of the KKK who mocked him by removing his hood to reveal a yarmulke.. One of the more celebrated debates that Rubin had was with Klansman and founder of the White Aryan Resistance Tom Metzger on KDOC Channel 56’s Wally George on the Hot Seat. The debate was cut off after Rubin threw a cup of water in Metzger’s face. Security intervened and the Anaheim Police were called.
2001 conspiracy charges
On December 12, 2001, Irv Rubin, JDL Chairman, and Earl Krugel, a member of the organization, 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 in Culver City, California, and on the office of U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, who is of Lebanese and Czech descent. The two were arrested as part of a sting operation after an FBI informant named Danny Gillis delivered explosives 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. On February 4, 2003, Earl Krugel, 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 by an inmate after having been transferred to a Phoenix federal prison. Another inmate struck Krugel on the head from behind with a cement block.
Death in prison
In November 2002, while imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles awaiting trial, Rubin cut his own throat and then jumped off an 18-20-foot 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. Some people consider the circumstances surrounding his death to be suspicious, and Rubin's wife demanded an investigation. But defense attorneyMark Werksman said that Rubin had been despondent for months, losing 40 pounds, and that the pressure of an upcoming trial "may have pushed him over the top." The Rubin family launched a wrongful death suit against the government.
