Meir Kahane

American/Israeli political activist and rabbi (1932–1990)

Meir Kahane (born Martin David Kahane, August 1, 1932 – November 5, 1990) was an orthodox Rabbi. He was an Israeli politician, and served one term in the Knesset. Kahane was from Brooklyn, New York City. He was one of the founders of the Jewish Defense League, in 1968. He wanted to establish radical Zionism, and replace the current democracy in Israel with a Jewish theocracy. He also wanted to evict most non-Jews from israel, and the occuppied territories, and to establish a state called Greater Israel. Many democratic Israelis saw him as a radical, Jewish racist.

Meir Kahane, speaking to young Jews, in 1975.

In the US, he was convicted for producing explosive devices, to be used in connection with terrorism.[1] In Israel, he was convicted for plotting to blow up the Libyan embassy in Brussels.[2] Both convictions happened in the 1970s.

Death change

On 5 November 1990, Kahane was shot in the neck by El Sayyid Nosair, an American citizen from Egypt after he had given a speech in New York. He was 58 years old.

References change

  1. Morris Kaplan (July 24, 1971). "Kahane Gets 5-Year Suspended Sentence in Bomb Plot". New York Times. p. 26.
  2. "Kahane's Money Tree". November 8, 1987. Retrieved September 8, 2020.[permanent dead link]