The Canadian Jewish Congress took strong stands on issues of Jewish and general concern at its 21st plenary session here last week. The 950 delegates from all over Canada voted to oppose moves to restore the death penalty, to condemn “Kahanism” as a perversion of Judaism and Zionism and to condemn apartheid in South Africa.
The resolution denouncing the ideology of Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the extremist Kach Party in Israel, declared that “Kahanism and other forms of extremist political activity challenge the historic Zionist mission of a Jewish State based on justice and democracy for all.”
Kahanism, the resolution said, undermines the moral basis of Israel by “threats to expel Arabs, open defiance of legal norms and procedures and attempts to establish differential treatment of citizens based on race, ethnicity and religion.”
The CJC entered the debate over capital punishment for the first time. Outgoing president Milton Harris said it was the organization’s responsibility to take a lead in public opinion within the Jewish community on this matter. Law professor Fred Zemans said it was in keeping with Jewish tradition to oppose the taking of life.
The resolution against apartheid, passed after some debate, also pledged to consider how the South African Jewish community could be helped.
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