Rabbi Meir Kahane came to New York City’s garment district today to launch his campaign against the policies of Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger which he said were endangering the safety of the State of Israel. A lunchtime crowd of nearly 200 warmly applauded the former Jewish Defense League leader when he said. “There will be no peace with the Arabs no matter how much the State of Israel gives back.”
Speaking while standing on top of the trunk of a car, Kahane told the street corner crowd that he could not understand why American Jews were enamored of Kissinger simply because he was the first Jew to serve as Secretary of State. “Israel is desperately afraid of Kissinger,” Kahane declared, charging that the Secretary was pressuring the Jewish State to give up territories.
Kahane, dressed in a gray suit with an Israeli-style open collar white shirt, said he would lead a demonstration in Washington Sept. 15 starting at the White House and then going to Kissinger’s home where he would tell the Secretary. “Henry the honeymoon is over.”
JEWISH LEADERS, RABBIS CASTIGATED
Saying that Kissinger was pursuing a policy of pragmatism rather than morality, Kahane charged Kissinger with forcing Israel to wait for the Arab attack in the Yom Kippur War thus causing the death of 2600 Israeli soldiers, preventing Israel from wiping out the Egyptian army and then forcing Israel to withdraw in the Sinai and the Golan Heights. He said Kissinger was the leading opponent of the Jackson Amendment, therefore depriving Soviet Jews of the major leverage that could be used to help them emigrate.
Kahane charged that American Jewish leaders and rabbis refused to oppose Kissinger and said it was up to American Jews to carry out this task in order to save Israel. “Those of you who did not go to Israel to live have the obligation to allow those in Israel to live,” he declared. “God help you if there is no Israel. The only guarantee of the survival of American Jews is the survival of Israel.”
Most of the people listening to Kahane, many of whom waited nearly an hour in the hot, muggy outdoors, seemed to support his views, and there were several street corner discussions claiming Kissinger was selling out Israel. Many had been supporters of Kahane before his immigration to Israel and were eager to see him again. Kahane arrived last week from Israel where he is under indictment for attempting to smuggle arms out of the country.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
