A heated public exchange between Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and controversial social media personality Dan Bilzerian has escalated into accusations of cowardice and antis**itism. The rabbi challenged Bilzerian to face off against former IDF soldiers in an organized exhibition match.
The dispute began when Bilzerian allegedly backed out of a previously agreed-upon debate with the prominent Orthodox rabbi. According to Boteach, the two had arranged to appear together on a neutral platform with significant reach, but Bilzerian withdrew at the last minute on Friday.
“You claim I’m not a man of honor. And yet you challenged me to a debate, and agreed to it as long as we found an appropriate neutral third-party, which we did with 12 million followers,” Boteach wrote in a message to Bilzerian. “And yet, we were told on Friday that you immediately canceled and broke your word.” He also made a social media post regarding it.
When the debate fell through, Bilzerian apparently shifted tactics and proposed a physical confrontation instead. However, Boteach, who describes himself as “a 58-year-old father of nine grandfather of 12,” countered with what he considers a more appropriate alternative.
Rather than accepting the challenge himself, the rabbi organized what he calls a roster of willing opponents more suited to face the 44-year-old Bilzerian. “We advertised it and got more than 100 applicants. I’m happy for you to choose between them. Each one of them is eager to fight you. We will pay you $10,000 for the exhibition fight,” Boteach offered.
The rabbi has positioned this as an opportunity for Bilzerian to back up his rhetoric with action, particularly given what Boteach characterizes as antis**itic statements. In his public criticism, Boteach didn’t mince words about his opponent’s motivations and character.
However, Bilzerian appears to have rejected this arrangement as well. In his response, he questioned both the legitimacy of the proposed platform and the principle behind having others step in on the rabbi’s behalf.
“I’ve been told the 12 mil followers are not real. You call me a coward but you need someone else to fight for you? Where I come from if you can’t call a man you’re afraid to fight a coward,” Bilzerian replied.
Boteach has framed this as more than a personal dispute, presenting it as an opportunity to confront what he sees as hate speech with direct action. The rabbi’s challenge remains open, with former IDF soldiers reportedly ready to participate in what would be an unusual intersection of religious advocacy, combat sports, and social media controversy.
Whether Bilzerian will accept any version of these challenges or continue to decline remains to be seen.
