Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance with an ultranationalist political party has raised significant concerns among U.S. Jews, a top leader in the Jewish American community said Sunday.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said the alliance is “very disturbing” to many American Jews. He said there are also concerns that it will provide new ammunition for Israel’s critics.
Netanyahu last week welcomed a merger that folded the “Jewish Power” (Otzma Yehudi) party into the larger “Bayit Yehudi” for April elections. As part of their deal, Netanyahu gave the merged party a seat on his Likud Party’s list of candidates and guaranteed them two Cabinet positions if he wins.
“Jewish Power” members see themselves as the ideological heirs of the banned Kach movement, led by Rabbi Meir Kahane, which was outlawed by Israel and the U.S. because of its “racist views”.
The deal has been widely criticized in Israel, and even strong supporters of Israel in the U.S. have spoken out against it. The American Jewish Committee, a major pro-Israel advocacy group, and the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC both called Jewish Power “reprehensible.”
“For those who follow this, there’s a lot of concern,” Hoenlein said in an interview.
“What we have to deal with is how it is perceived and understood in the United States,” Hoenlein said. “And we have to be very careful because it feeds certain tendencies that are very concerning to us.”
Hoenlein, who is visiting Israel, said he has not discussed the matter with Netanyahu and did not want to judge him. “He obviously has some political calculation that drove him to it, but politics can’t dictate everything. You have to take into consideration all of the ramifications and all of the concerns,” Hoenlein said.
Hoenlein said, however, that the “ultimate decision” will be made by the Israeli public, which he said rejects extremism.
Netanyahu on Saturday lashed out at his domestic critics on Saturday, claiming they have sought alliances with extremist Arab parties and accusing them of hypocrisy.
(AP)
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9 Responses
Who should he side with, UN hacks?
I’m not concerned
It’s a true concern, but the left has center and left has to understand that these are no ordinary times. Extremism on the left triggers extremism on the right. When the left is more ok with Iran than with Netanyahu that causes extreme reactions. Same in the US. If the Dems declare that professional border security is more immoral than socialism, then you get ‘Emergency declarations’ etc
No concern for me. Honeline doesn’t speak for American Jews. If they would’ve listened to Kahane all those yrs ago they wouldn’t have any of the problems they have today. So good alliance if you ask me
Ra v Kahane HYD was right, and by now everyone knows it but refuses to admit it.
If jews around the world
want to be involved in
Israeli politics let them
make Aaliyah before they
speak
Please mr hoenline speak for yourself.
Rabbi Kahane literally gave his life for the Jewish people. All you have done is enrich yourself by ingratiating yourself with the establishment.
You should be concerned with honoring his memory rather than appeasing those who made his life a hellish existence.
Shame on you !
THESE SELF APPOINTED FAT CATS DON’T REPRESENT AMERICAN JEWS – EXCEPT FOR A DWINDLING NUMBER OF REFORM/LIBERAL/DEMOCRATS.RAV KAHANA WAS SUPPORTED BY GENUINE COMMITTED JEWS.
Malcolm Hoenlein DOES NOT represent the AMERICAN JEWS!!!!
As the years go by, we see how right Kahana was. When I was younger I used to think he was a crazy man….
anyone with an honest bone in his body, that will study him, and the stuff he said, will conclude that he was so right.