The Interior Minister awarded Jewish Defense League leader Rabbi Meir Kahane Israeli citizenship today. Rabbi Kahane had appealed to the high court last week which ordered the Ministry to show cause why it had refused to award Rabbi Kahane citizenship. The Ministry spokesman said at the time that the citizenship papers were in the pipeline. In a letter to Rabbi Kahane from Mrs. Judith Huebner, who is in charge of citizenship applications, the Ministry said it had not intended to withhold or delay citizenship, but that it took time to approve applications “particularly in the case of someone involved in legal proceedings.” Rabbi Kahane was recently fined for trying to affix a mezuza on the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem. The Justice Ministry is still considering whether to charge him with attempting to smuggle arms out of Israel.
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