Meir Kahane

Meir David Kahane (Hebrew: מאיר דוד כהנא, Kahane being a variation on Cohen or "priest"; also known by the pseudonym Michael King) (August 1, 1932–November 5, 1990), was an American Orthodox rabbi, author, political activist, and eventually a member of the Israeli Knesset. On both sides of the Atlantic Kahane was known for his strong political and nationalist views, most apparent in his ideal of a theocratic "Greater Israel" but also evident in his clandestine work with the mafia, FBI, and Mossad. Kahane founded two controversial movements: the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in the United States and the Kach political party in Israel. The latter was declared a racist party by the Israeli government and in 1988 removed from the Knesset, and the former was formally listed as a terrorist organization by both the FBI and the U.S. State Department.

Ideology

Kahane's overall views have been called Kahanism. Kahane believed that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people; that in fact the people who call themselves Palestinian are a mixture of disparate and unrelated Arab clans with no claim to ethnic identity, and that all native Palestinian Arabs seek the genocide of the Israelis. Thus Kahane proposed the forcible deportation of all Arabs from all lands controlled by the Israeli government. HIn his view, evicting all Palestinians (even Israeli Arabs), was the only acceptable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Related Topics:
Kahanism - Palestinian - Genocide - Israeli Arab - Israeli-Palestinian conflict - Arab-Israeli conflict

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kahane also believed that Israel should become a theocracy governed purely by orthodox Jewish law known as the Halakha. He hoped that the Israeli government would pass laws, including ideas such as a ban on all sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews. Critics have compared this measure to Nazi Germany's Nuremberg Laws; however, supporters say Kahane was protecting Torah values and the integrity of the Jewish nation. See: Jewish view of marriage.

Related Topics:
Theocracy - Halakha - Nuremberg Laws - Torah - Jewish view of marriage

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~