JERUSALEM (AP/Vinnews) — A far-right Israeli lawmaker, whose surging popularity helped propel former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back to power in last week’s general election, delivered a glowing tribute Thursday at a memorial event for an extremist rabbi assassinated in 1990.
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The lawmaker, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has long admired Meir Kahane, the late racist rabbi. Kahane’s violent anti-Arab ideology — which included calls to ban Jewish-Arab intermarriage and for the mass expulsion of Palestinians — was considered so repugnant that Israel banned him from parliament and the United States listed his party as a terrorist group. Kahane was assassinated by an Arab assailant in New York 32 years ago.
Ben-Gvir, whose ultra-nationalist Jewish Power party emerged as the the second biggest group in Netanyahu’s bloc and the third largest in the country, praised Kahane in his speech at the memorial in Jerusalem.
קריאות בוז מהקהל בזמן שבן גביר אומר שהוא לא נגד כל הערבים ולא מסכים עם כל דבר שמאיר כהנא האמין בו pic.twitter.com/QCeBlQAxJ5
— בנצי רובין (@bentzi_r) November 10, 2022
“I think that the main characteristic of Kahane was love. Love of Israel without compromise and without any other considerations” he said.
At the same time, Ben-Gvir has sought to portray himself as more of a moderate since entering politics, saying on Thursday that it’s “no secret that today I am not Rabbi Kahane.” Israeli critics, though, have cast doubt on the sincerity of his shift, arguing that his very presence at Kahane’s memorial subverts his attempts at moderation.
Ben-Gvir no longer displays in his home a portrait of Baruch Goldstein, an American-Israeli who killed 29 Palestinians and wounded over 100 in a shooting attack as they knelt in prayer at Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs in 1993. He has recently urged his supporters to chant “Death to terrorists” instead of “Death to Arabs.”
But the audience was not having it on Thursday. The crowd booed as Ben-Gvir told them he does “not support the expulsion of all Arabs.”
“I will not enact laws for separate beaches for Jews and Arabs,” he said. “Although, it is certain that we will act and do everything to expel terrorists from the country for the sake of the Jewish character of Israel, for the settlements and its Jewish identity.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog held consultations with party leaders this week, and is expected to grant Netanyahu the mandate to form a coalition in the coming days. Netanyahu’s alliance with ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties would put him at the helm of the most right-wing government in Israeli history.
Herzog was caught on Wednesday by a microphone he apparently thought was off commenting on the newly-elected lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir’s far-right positions, “You have a partner that the entire world is anxious about.” he said.
This pathetic article refers to Ben Gvir as “far right”. Far right is obviously a relative term. So, yes, in comparison with treasonous stalinist-hitlerian judenrat mafia that usurped all power in the state of Israel, anyone who is not a suicidal self-hater would be considered “far right”.
However, in a normal society, where the elites haven’t been bought and paid for by the EU and the US bribes, someone like Ben Gvir and even Meir Kahane would be considered a centrist. Yes, centrist. Considering the specific situation that Jews and the state of Israel are in, id est that the islamonazis made clear their genocidal intentions and appeasing the islamonazis is impossible by definition due to their ideology, trying to survive, by either defeating or expelling those that want to push your people into the sea, is a very rational and centrist political position indeed.
Replace his name with Abbas, and Israel with the PA and Jews with Arabs, do you still have a problem? Of course not, why?
Why cant Jews live under the PA?
Why does the PA pay terorrist familes?
Why does the PA allow so much hate in the PA schools, against Jews?
they boo him but members of knesset who saw admiration for hamas are respected. Zionism at its best
Insanity has not only gripped the world, but it has become the world’s go to potion.
I know right? How dare he mention rav kahana he should have praised the cursed 16 year old Palestinian demon and his Muslim doctor who brought him a cake for stabbing a young bucher who remains in the hospital
If only he had instead picked up a saxophone and played a Tribute To Rabbi Meir Kahane, no one would have protested.
Fake news artcile. And no mention that R Kahna was killed by a hating Muslim Palestinian.,
Kahane led a terrorist organization with Jewish blood in it’s hands.
That is all you need to know.