State Department Studying if Kahane Should Be Stripped of His American Citizenship

The State Department is studying whether Rabbi Meir Kahane should be stripped of his United States citizenship now that he has sworn allegiance to a foreign government in taking a seat in the Knesset yesterday.

But State Department deputy spokesman Alan Romberg stressed today that it is a “very long process, very complicated” and will take “several months or longer.” Romberg had indicated, after the controversial founder of the Jewish Defense League was elected last month to the Knesset, that he might lose his citizenship.

In Jerusalem yesterday, Kahane balked at first at taking the statutory pledge of allegiance to the Knesset and to Israel. But Interior Minister Yosef Burg, who was acting Speaker, demanded that Kahane take the pledge or he would not be a member of Parliament.

Romberg said there had been two previous cases of Knesset members who lost their citizenship, one of whom was reinstated and the other who lost his American citizenship. But he said he could not give any details.

PROCEDURAL STEPS OUTLINED

Whether Kahane will lose his citizenship will be determined by the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs which will look into “all the relevant circumstances, “Romberg said. If Kahane’s citizenship is revoked, he would than have a year in which to appeal to the Department’s Appellate Review Board, an autonomous body made up of three persons not in the Consular Affairs Bureau.

If the Appellate Board upholds the revocation, Kahane could then go to the United States District Court. Romberg stressed that during the present review, Kahane can make his argument for keeping his citizenship in person or through a lawyer.

The American-born rabbi has indicated he wants to retain his U.S. citizenship to continue his frequent trips to the United States where he has raised funds for his Kach movement in Israel. If he loses his American citizenship, the United States can deny Kahane entry because of his previous convictions in the United States and Israel.