An American-Arab leader, who has routinely denounced Israel and Zionism and has espoused the cause of the Palestine Liberation Organization, congratulated Rabbi Meir Kahane for being elected to the Israeli Knesset and described him as “the only honest Zionist” ever elected in Israel.
In a letter to Kahane, released here today, Dr. M. T. Mehdi, president of the American-Arab Relations Committee (AARC), claimed that Kahane, the American-born leader of the extreme rightwing Kach Party, “states publicly what the rest of the Zionists believe in their hearts.” Mehdi referred to Kahane’s call for the expulsion of every Arab from Israel and the occupied territories, by forcible means if necessary.
Mehdi claimed that Kahane is “open” about his intentions with regards to the Arabs, while the “rest of the Zionist leaders are devious” about it and try to hide “the ugly result of their belief” in Zionism.
Mehdi, who has appeared together with Kahane on radio and TV debates, predicted, however, that Kahane will finally become disillusioned with Zionism and will return back to Brooklyn, New York. “Come home, Rabbi Kahane, come home” to Brooklyn, Mehdi’s letter to the founder of the Jewish Defense League concluded.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
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.
