Kahane, Predicting Electoral Success, Doused with Red Dye at U.S. Press Club

Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of Israel’s ultranationalist Kach party, was doused with red vegetable dye Wednesday as he spoke at the National Press Club.

Kahane was not hurt and continued speaking, although his face, hair, hands and clothes were covered with the substance which gave the appearance of blood. “This Arab lives in Washington and this Jew lives in Jerusalem,” Kahane commented after the assailant fled the meeting room only to be caught a few minutes later.

However, the assailant, who was identified by police and club officials as Daniel Brown, 26, of Washington, is reportedly a Jew born in Jerusalem who is a United States citizen. Police arrested Brown, whom Kahane charged with simple assault.

The incident happened as Kahane was speaking at one of the National Press Club’s regular Morning Newsmakers sessions. He was standing at the head of a long table when Brown, sitting a few seats down on the side, leaped up and yelled, “This is for the blood you spilled.” He doused Kahane as well as two persons sitting to his left. Brown then dashed out a side door where photographers and club security people caught him.

Brown carried press credentials for the Jerusalem Press and reports on articles in the American media for Arab newspapers. He left on his seat a statement from an organization called “Jews Against Zionism” which ended with the statement, “The blood which we spill here is the blood of his many victims.”

In his talk, Kahane predicted that Israel’s unity government will not last a year because Labor will not allow Yitzhak Shamir to serve his full term as Premier under the coalition agreement. He said that after the next election he has “not the slightest doubt that we will be the third party in the Knesset.”