American Decades
Kahane, Meir 1932-1990
RABBI ZIONIST, AND FOUNDER OF JDL
Radical.
Rabbi Meir Kahane was obsessed with what he believed to be rampant anti-Semitism in America and abroad. He chose to be always on the offensive, attacking his enemies, allies, or fellow Jews if they disagreed with his tactics. He founded the Jewish Defense League, or JDL, in the late 1960s for the specific purpose of defending American Jews from any form of persecution—real or perceived. He popularized the post-Holocaust slogan "Never Again," vowing that Jews would from this point forward always be prepared. Kahane's extremist views were well beyond the mainstream; he was seen as fanatic by most. In the 1970s after being in trouble with the law in the United States, he turned his attention toward Israel, where his ultra-Zionist views and actions brought him worldwide attention. His entrance into Israeli politics and his racist position toward Arabs added fire and tension to an...
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1980's Religion
