Kahane Says Begin Will Not Stop His Settlement Effort

Despite the fact that the Israeli army ordered Rabbi Meir Kahane and his followers to turn back in two previous efforts to settle in the West Bank last month, Kahane said today that he plans to start a settlement in Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank, where Jews are currently not allowed and where 80,000 Arabs now live. Kahane, founder of the Jewish Defense League, said in a press conference here today that he will not begin this effort until Menachem Begin, who is expected to become Israel’s next Premier, has his first meeting with President Carter.

Although Kahane refused to say precisely how Begin’s representatives reacted to his plan, he did say their response was “positive.” Kahane, who failed to win a Knesset seat in Israel’s recent elections, did not directly consult Begin, but said he “cannot conceive of Begin’s stopping” him.

In this country to recruit 40 to 50 “young people” to settle with him and his family in Nablus, Kahane said that 20 Israeli families and 10 to 15 Israeli singles had already agreed to help him carry out his plan. If the Israeli army opts once again to thwart his efforts, Kahane said, there would be no “physical confrontation, “but passive resistance. Kahane said he knew of 15,000 Jews who were prepared to block the Israeli army. In his last attempt to settle in the West Bank May 15, Kahane was arrested outside of Jerusalem for trying to get Israeli soldiers to disobey orders and allow him and his followers to go to the West Bank despite a military order barring them.

Kahane said he hoped to have a textile factory in the Samarian city in about six months, that the products from this factory would be exported to the United States and elsewhere and that he hoped Jews would buy the products for “nationalist” reasons. Because of the amount of money involved IL 2.5 million, Kahane refused to disclose the name of the individual investing in the textile factory. He said he plans to set up similar settlements with light industry in several other “liberated” areas.

Rabbi Alexander Schindler, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and others who are responsible for “making Begin look moderate” were criticized by Kahane. Kahane said he did not believe that Begin would change his hard line position on the West Bank and that those who thought he would do so were engaging in “wishful thinking.”