The State Department said today that it was still studying whether Rabbi Meir Kahane lost his United States citizenship when he became a member of the Knesset in August, 1984.
“Although accepting public office in another country may signify intent to relinquish U.S. citizenship, all relevant factors in each case must be considered,” Department deputy spokesman Charles Redman said.
Redman had no comment on Kahane’s announcement in New York yesterday that he has resigned as head of the Jewish Defense League which he founded in 1968. Kahane said he was doing so to make it easier for him to get a visa to enter the United States if the Knesset adopts a proposed law forbidding dual citizenship by its members.
When the new Knesset was sworn in, on August 13, 1984, Kahane balked at taking the required pledge of allegiance to the Israeli Parliament and the State of Israel. But he did so after Yosef Burg, who was acting Speaker, demanded that Kahane take the pledge or he would not be seated.
The next day, the State Department said it was studying that whether, because of this act, Kahane should be stripped of his citizenship. Redman said today that the decision is taking so long because the problem is “complex” and “fraught with extremely weighty consequences for the individual and therefore the Department is obliged to take care in evaluating all available evidence.”
Kahane, who frequently returns to the United States to raise funds for his activities in Israel, has made no secret that he fears that, if he loses his citizenship, the United States would deny him entry.
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