They said he killed himself. Then the news came out that he was brain dead. Today, I heard on the radio that Irv Rubin was in intensive care, but still holding on. They say a lot of things. Frankly, I don?t believe a word of it. I knew Irv. He was a friend. I knew his mentality. There is no way he would commit suicide. Nor would he do so in the violent manner which was described in the press. It makes no sense. None. Irv would not have waited until the day before his anticipated court date when there was a chance that he might be acquitted.
Irv Rubin is the head of the Jewish Defense League. He took over the reign of the organization from Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded it in the 1960?s. I?ve known both men and their styles were completely different. Kahane walked softly, but carried a big stick. He spoke quietly and with passion. You had to strain sometimes to hear what Kahane was saying. Not so with Irv Rubin. Irv was most comfortable with a bullhorn and creating a disturbance. If there was a Nazi or skinhead demonstration somewhere, be it Idaho or Germany, Irv would be right in the middle of it, having his own counter-demonstration. I remember once when he returned from the city of Cicero, Illinois, where the KKK had planned a demonstration. Irv had managed to coordinate both the black and Hispanic gangs, who were generally at war with each other. Somehow, Irv, convinced them both to form a temporary truce in order to fight their common enemy, the KKK. The KKK ended up not doing the demonstration and I did a television show with Irv about it. He was noisy and disruptive, yet articulate and bright. I like what he does, even thought I didn?t always agree with his style.
For the past year, Irv had been incarnated and charged with the crime of conspiracy to bomb the King Fahd mosque after 9/11 and the office of a Lebanese-American congressman, Rep. Darrell E. Issa. I never believed that Irv could do something so stupid. Nor, does he have it in him to plan the blowing up of a building or an individual. I know that he and the FBI had a mutual dislike of each other. Irv's style was too vocal and abrasive for them. I spoke to him on more than one occasion about how he didn?t have to go out of his way to make enemies with the FBI, because there were those in the government who were after him anyway. I was right. The mood of the country at the time of his arrest was one of ?political correctness.? What could be better than an arrest of the head of the JDL to show the ?fairness? of the FBI and their methods? In one swoop, an annoyance such as the JDL could be eliminated and at the same time, the country could see how even-handed the authorities are when it comes to the treatment of Arab terrorists.
So, when the FBI informants were able to entrap both Irv Rubin and his sidekick, Earl Kruger, they arrested them for planning the bombing and had the tapes to prove it. However, according to Mr. Rubin?s attorneys, Irv?s voice was only on two of the eleven tapes and they were unclear. I even could see Irv going to the meeting at Jerry?s Deli and going along with what the informants were promising to do, just to see what they had on their minds. Yet, I still do not believe that he had any intention of going through with what he was charged.
Most of all, the Irv Rubin I have had on my television show, and argued politics with, has a good heart and is a good man. There is no way, even, that I would believe he was guilty of the charges that put him in prison. More so, I cannot believe that the Irv I know would attempt suicide. Especially on the day he was due to appear in court. Someone wanted him dead. A lot of people wanted Irv dead. I?m not accusing an organization like the FBI of gaining from the Jewish Defense League?s leader?s headlong plunge from a balcony at a federal detention center; however, at this point in time, there are too many questions that remain unanswered.
Irv?s lawyers, Bryan Altman and Peter Morris, have called for an investigation into what happened at the federal detention center where he fell, or was pushed. They are asking for an independent investigation into the circumstances, and rightly so. To have the prison officials, or, the FBI looking into the matter is the same as having the restauranteur inspecting the salad bar and giving it a clean bill of health. They are not partial, and what is needed now is an unbiased authority.
If, according to the prison, there were at least fifteen guards who gave testimony that Irv slashed his throat with a disposable razor and then dove 18 feet over a railing, why are there no videos to back them up? Those places have videos running every ten feet. In fact, why are there no tapes available that might have captured anything that happened prior to his attempted ?suicide?? Why is that?
I also know that Irv took his Jewishness seriously and suicide is against the religion that he practiced. Also, he loved his family and wouldn?t have considered doing anything without leaving a note at least. He was just too close to his boys to do something that would destroy them in such a manner.
The verdict is still out. The truth is still not evident. And neither is Irv. He?s been in a coma and I pray that he?ll come out of it. . I find it interesting that, a year ago, when I opened the Los Angeles Times and read about his arrest there was another article about him on the religion page. It seems his case concerning the separation of Church and State when it came to prayer in the LA County schools had come to trial. And Irv Rubin won. Irv is a fighter. I hope the outcome of this tragedy will come out in his favor, as well. We need fighters in our corner to keep the rest of us straight.
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Arlene Peck is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess. She can be reached at bestredhead@earthlink.net.
Irv Rubin is the head of the Jewish Defense League. He took over the reign of the organization from Rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded it in the 1960?s. I?ve known both men and their styles were completely different. Kahane walked softly, but carried a big stick. He spoke quietly and with passion. You had to strain sometimes to hear what Kahane was saying. Not so with Irv Rubin. Irv was most comfortable with a bullhorn and creating a disturbance. If there was a Nazi or skinhead demonstration somewhere, be it Idaho or Germany, Irv would be right in the middle of it, having his own counter-demonstration. I remember once when he returned from the city of Cicero, Illinois, where the KKK had planned a demonstration. Irv had managed to coordinate both the black and Hispanic gangs, who were generally at war with each other. Somehow, Irv, convinced them both to form a temporary truce in order to fight their common enemy, the KKK. The KKK ended up not doing the demonstration and I did a television show with Irv about it. He was noisy and disruptive, yet articulate and bright. I like what he does, even thought I didn?t always agree with his style.
For the past year, Irv had been incarnated and charged with the crime of conspiracy to bomb the King Fahd mosque after 9/11 and the office of a Lebanese-American congressman, Rep. Darrell E. Issa. I never believed that Irv could do something so stupid. Nor, does he have it in him to plan the blowing up of a building or an individual. I know that he and the FBI had a mutual dislike of each other. Irv's style was too vocal and abrasive for them. I spoke to him on more than one occasion about how he didn?t have to go out of his way to make enemies with the FBI, because there were those in the government who were after him anyway. I was right. The mood of the country at the time of his arrest was one of ?political correctness.? What could be better than an arrest of the head of the JDL to show the ?fairness? of the FBI and their methods? In one swoop, an annoyance such as the JDL could be eliminated and at the same time, the country could see how even-handed the authorities are when it comes to the treatment of Arab terrorists.
So, when the FBI informants were able to entrap both Irv Rubin and his sidekick, Earl Kruger, they arrested them for planning the bombing and had the tapes to prove it. However, according to Mr. Rubin?s attorneys, Irv?s voice was only on two of the eleven tapes and they were unclear. I even could see Irv going to the meeting at Jerry?s Deli and going along with what the informants were promising to do, just to see what they had on their minds. Yet, I still do not believe that he had any intention of going through with what he was charged.
Most of all, the Irv Rubin I have had on my television show, and argued politics with, has a good heart and is a good man. There is no way, even, that I would believe he was guilty of the charges that put him in prison. More so, I cannot believe that the Irv I know would attempt suicide. Especially on the day he was due to appear in court. Someone wanted him dead. A lot of people wanted Irv dead. I?m not accusing an organization like the FBI of gaining from the Jewish Defense League?s leader?s headlong plunge from a balcony at a federal detention center; however, at this point in time, there are too many questions that remain unanswered.
Irv?s lawyers, Bryan Altman and Peter Morris, have called for an investigation into what happened at the federal detention center where he fell, or was pushed. They are asking for an independent investigation into the circumstances, and rightly so. To have the prison officials, or, the FBI looking into the matter is the same as having the restauranteur inspecting the salad bar and giving it a clean bill of health. They are not partial, and what is needed now is an unbiased authority.
If, according to the prison, there were at least fifteen guards who gave testimony that Irv slashed his throat with a disposable razor and then dove 18 feet over a railing, why are there no videos to back them up? Those places have videos running every ten feet. In fact, why are there no tapes available that might have captured anything that happened prior to his attempted ?suicide?? Why is that?
I also know that Irv took his Jewishness seriously and suicide is against the religion that he practiced. Also, he loved his family and wouldn?t have considered doing anything without leaving a note at least. He was just too close to his boys to do something that would destroy them in such a manner.
The verdict is still out. The truth is still not evident. And neither is Irv. He?s been in a coma and I pray that he?ll come out of it. . I find it interesting that, a year ago, when I opened the Los Angeles Times and read about his arrest there was another article about him on the religion page. It seems his case concerning the separation of Church and State when it came to prayer in the LA County schools had come to trial. And Irv Rubin won. Irv is a fighter. I hope the outcome of this tragedy will come out in his favor, as well. We need fighters in our corner to keep the rest of us straight.
--------------------------------------------------------
Arlene Peck is an internationally syndicated columnist and television talk show hostess. She can be reached at bestredhead@earthlink.net.