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.

Political legacy continued

For a while Kach and Kahanism seemed to have disappeared, but several small fractions reemerged, one under the name of Kach and the other Kahane chai (Hebrew: כהנא חי, literally "Kahane lives "). In 1994 following the massacre in the Cave of the Patriarchs, the Israeli government declared both to be terrorist organizations. Details can be found at http://web.nps.navy.mil/~library/tgp/kach.htm and http://www.ict.org.il/inter_ter/orgdet.cfm?orgid=19.

Related Topics:
1994 - Massacre in the Cave of the Patriarchs - Terrorist

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