March 7 • 2019 31 jn eretz T he two Young Israel synagogues in Metro Detroit reacted swiftly when the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) president defended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’ s invitation to have Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), a party with roots to Rabbi Meir Kahane’ s Kach party, join a projected coalition after the upcoming April 9 election. Jewish organizations in Israel and around the world expressed dismay at Netanyahu’ s offer, which seems to legiti- mize right-wing extremism. Yet, in a Feb. 25 statement to JTA, NCYI President Farley Weiss said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu acted to get right-wing parties to merge to meet the threshold necessary to secure a victory in the election … We understand what Prime Minister Netanyahu did, and he did it to have ministers of the national religious and national union parties in his coa- lition. ” In Israel, no one party has ever won enough seats in the Knesset to govern the country by itself. The prime minister depends on a coalition of disparate parties to make up a majority. In the run-up to an election, leaders of every party nego- tiate with other parties to choose their potential partners. After the election, negotiations continue with each party bargaining for its place. Except that certain parties never get invited in. In 1988, the Knesset entirely disallowed Kahane’ s Kach party because of its racist platform (see sidebar). Successor parties with modified platform versions, led by former Kach members or their disciples, have received permis- sion to run in Israeli elections, but they have never been invited to form part of a governing coalition. Until now. At Young Israel of Oak Park, President David Barth, in consultation with the executive committee and interim Rabbi Aaron Leib, has sent a forceful mes- sage to Weiss of the NCYI, with a list of objections: they were not consulted about the statement; if consulted, they would not have agreed; that as far as they know, this statement was issued without consulting any YI member organiza- tions; and that aside from the “doubtful merits of the statement, ” they find it inappropriate for YI to get involved in internal Israeli politics. On Feb. 28, the executive committee of Young Israel of Oak Park sent an email message to congregation members expressing similar sentiments, adding that YIOP does not associated itself with Weiss’ statement and has communicated YIOP’ s concerns to the NCYI. Taking a lower public profile, Rabbi Yechiel Morris revealed only that Young Israel of Southfield has been in contact with the NCYI to express its concerns. Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt responded to the statement by resigning from her synagogue, Young Israel of Toco Hills in Atlanta. In a Facebook let- ter she said: “I cannot be associated with an organization that gives such racism, celebration of violence and immoral pol- icies a ‘ hechsher [certification]. ’ ” On Feb. 28, Weiss sent an email to member congregations: “The short NCYI statement released in response to two news outlet requests concerning Prime Minister Netanyahu represented my personal views and that of many on our Board but may not reflect the view of all the Young Israel synagogues. ” On March 1, YI rabbinic and lay lead- ers wrote a letter, calling upon “NCYI leadership to immediately cease making all political pronouncements” without consulting YI synagogue communities. Rabbis and presidents of Metro Detroit’ s two Young Israel synagogues put their names to the letter that represented 21 other congregations. ■ LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Federation Locked Kahane Out Rabbi Meir Kahane served as a member of Knesset from 1984-88, when his Kach party won a single seat in the 1984 elections. The party symbol was a clenched fist — kach, meaning “thus” because “only thus, by force, can we succeed.” Its platform included enforcing Jewish law on Israeli citi- zens, outlawing intermar- riage between Jews and gentiles and expelling Arab citizens from Israel unless they promise submission to Jewish rule. In 1988, Knesset outlawed his party as racist. The William Davidson Digital Archive of Detroit Jewish History (djnfoundation.org) showed that on Oct. 24, 1985, then-MK Meir Kahane came to Detroit and the Jewish Welfare Federation refused to let him enter the build- ing. The JN reported Nov. 1, 1985, that Federation President Joel Tauber and Executive Director Wayne Feinstein concurred on this decision. Tauber explained Federation would offer “no home to Meir Kahane and his racist ideology.” Asked about that decision now, Tauber said, “I do not actually recall the specific incident right now, but those were my feelings ever since Meir Kahane became a public figure. Barring Kahane was consistent with my belief. In my opinion, then and now, our tradition stands for com- passion, understanding and improving the world. We are in favor of Israel as a Jewish democratic state. There is no room in the Jewish community for what he stood for. I feel the same way about Otzma Yehudit, the successor to Kahane’ s party.” Feinstein, now in San Mateo, Calif., also defends the decision and provides context: “It wasn’ t just the Detroit Federation. By then, all the leading Jewish organizations had recognized Meir Kahane’ s positions were so far outside the mainstream that they amounted to hate speech. We all agreed to refuse to offer him a platform for hate speech.” In his Nov. 11, 1985, “Purely Commentary” column, JN Editor Philip Slomovitz wrote, “There has to be an under- standing that no one will be permitted to say that a resident in Israel who is not of Jewish birth is to be driven out of the land. That’ s the Kahanism for which there can never be sanction.” — Louis Finkelman LINKEDIN TAUBER.UMICH.EDU U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Benjamin Netanyahu Take Time to Take Care of Yourself A Day Off for Caregivers Sunday, April 7, 2019 10:00am - 3:00pm RSVP to Dorothy Moon at 248.233.4392 by March 22 Complimentary respite provided for those living with Dementia Enjoy a day of massage, yoga, aromatherapy, music and food while trained professionals tend to your loved ones. Participation is free. Best Western Premier 26555 Telegraph Rd. Sponsored by the Dee dee and Michael Perlman Caregivers Fund Joel Tauber Wayne Feinstein Rabbi Meir Kahane Israeli Political Turmoil Netanyahu’ s coalition offer prompts strong reactions.