Rabbi Meir Kahane, chairman of the Jewish Defense League who was released on $3000 bail late this afternoon after being arrested for non-appearance in court, accused the U.S. government of “pulling out all the stops” to end the JDL’s “efforts to save Russian Jews.” Rabbi Kahane, unshaven and wearing a yarmulka, turned up at JDL headquarters for a press conference after his release. He must appear in court on Jan. 19 for arraignment on charges of disorderly conduct and incitement to riot. Rabbi Kahane said efforts to crack down on the JDL after its threats to harass Soviet diplomats was “the start of a very real campaign to stop us.” He said President Nixon’s apology to the Soviet government for the JDL’s activities showed that he has “bowed to Soviet pressure.” Rabbi Kahane dismissed Jewish organizations that have condemned the JDL’s roughneck tactics as “the ones who have sat on their apathy for 53 years.” He said the label “dissident hoodlum Jews” was a “badge of honor.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
