Meir Kahane

Here’s a balanced, informative biography of Meir Kahane, with key aspects of his life, ideology, controversies, and legacy.

Meir Kahane – Life, Career, and Controversies

Learn about Meir Kahane (1932–1990), the American-born rabbi, political activist, and founder of Kach and the Jewish Defense League, whose militant ideology and rhetoric remain deeply polarizing.

Introduction

Meir David Kahane was a rabbi, political activist, and ultranationalist thinker who sought to fuse radical Jewish nationalism with religious law. His ideas—often described as extremist—evoked both fervent support and intense opposition. Over his lifetime he established the Jewish Defense League in the U.S., then emigrated to Israel, founded the Kach party, served in the Israeli Knesset, and was ultimately assassinated in New York in 1990.

His legacy is controversial: many see him as a propagator of hate and racism, while others view him as a provocateur who gave voice to hardline Jewish self-defense and national unity.

Early Life and Education

• He was born August 1, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York, to an Orthodox Jewish family.

• His birth name was Martin David Kahane; he later adopted the name Meir Kahane.

• Kahane’s father, Yechezkel Shragei (Charles) Kahane, was a rabbi, and the family traced roots in both Eastern Europe and the Land of Israel (then Palestine).

• In his youth he joined Betar, the youth organization of the Revisionist Zionist movement. He was influenced by the ideas of Ze’ev Jabotinsky.

• He was educated in Jewish texts and law, eventually earning ordination as a rabbi. He also pursued secular higher education: a B.A. from Brooklyn College, an LL.B. (Law degree) from New York Law School, and an M.A. in International Relations from New York University.

Activism in the United States & the Jewish Defense League

• In 1968, Kahane founded the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in New York. The stated mission was to “protect Jews from anti-Semitism through force if necessary.”

• The JDL adopted militant tactics and rhetoric. Under Kahane’s leadership, the organization was linked to acts deemed violent or extremist.

• Kahane and JDL members faced legal consequences: he was convicted in the U.S. for conspiring to bomb the Iraqi embassy, kidnap a Soviet diplomat, and ship arms.

• His slogan “Every Jew a .22” (implying every Jewish individual should be armed) became notorious.

Move to Israel, Political Career, and Kach

• In 1971, Kahane emigrated to Israel, where he became an Israeli citizen.

• In Israel, he founded the Kach party, advocating for radical policies including the removal or expulsion of Arab citizens and Palestinians.

• Kahane’s Kach party succeeded in winning one seat in the Knesset in the 1984 elections.

• However, his extremist views led to political marginalization. In 1988, legal changes and court rulings barred him (and Kach) from running again, due to the party’s “racist” nature.

• In the Knesset, Kahane attempted legislative proposals to restrict civil rights of non-Jews, enforce Jewish law, end intermarriage, and more. None of his bills passed.

Assassination and Death

• On November 5, 1990, while giving a speech in Manhattan, Kahane was assassinated by El Sayyid Nosair.

• The assassination occurred at the New York Marriott East Side Hotel.

• His body was buried in Jerusalem (Har HaMenuchot).

Ideology & Controversies

Meir Kahane’s ideology is deeply controversial and widely condemned by many:

• He believed that Democracy and Judaism are incompatible, defending a theocratic or halachic state over liberal democracy.

• He advocated for the expulsion or transfer of Arab populations from Israel and the occupied territories, sometimes by force.

• He asserted that non-Jews in Israel should either become “slaves or leave.”

• Kahane argued for Jewish law (halakha) to be the law of the land, and for stricter enforcement of religious norms.

• His opponents accused him of racism, inciting violence, and extremism. Several governments and legal systems classed Kach (his party) as a “terrorist” or banned organization.

Legacy

• Although Kahane’s political career was short and largely marginalized in the mainstream, his ideas lived on. The ideology known as Kahanism remains influential in some extremist and settler circles.

• His son, Binyamin Ze’ev Kahane, led a splinter movement Kahane Chai (Kahane Lives).

• Several Israeli laws and electoral reforms (e.g. banning of racist parties) were passed in response to Kahane’s rhetoric and the threat he posed.

• To many, he remains a cautionary figure: a reminder of how religious fervor, nationalism, and uncompromising ideology can lead to extremism.

Selected Publications

Some of Kahane’s writings include:

• Never Again! A Program for Survival

• They Must Go

• Listen, Vanessa, I Am a Zionist

• Uncomfortable Questions for Comfortable Jews

• Israel: Revolution or Referendum

• The Jewish Stake in Vietnam (coauthored)
  

Noted Quotes (Attributed)

• “Democracy and Judaism are not the same thing.”

• “You cannot have Zionism and democracy … Western democracy must be ruled out.”

• “There will be a perpetual war. With or without Kahane.”

Such statements illustrate his confrontational vision and the ideological divide he strove to provoke.