The deputy speaker of the Knesset, Nissim Vaturi, has expressed controversial support for the ultranationalist rabbi Meir Kahane, sparking significant backlash within Israel’s political landscape. During a parliamentary debate on Wednesday, Vaturi, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, asserted that Kahane was correct in many of his views, including his calls for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel.
Vaturi’s remarks came in response to criticism from fellow Knesset members, who branded Kahane a terrorist. He stated, “I support it. Believe me, Kahane was right in many ways where we were wrong, where the people of Israel were wrong.” He further argued that past leaders of the Likud party had made a mistake by ostracising Kahane, referencing the ongoing security challenges posed by Arabs and terrorists along Israel’s borders.
Kahane, a controversial figure in Israeli politics, was elected to the Knesset in 1984 after his Kach movement secured a single seat. However, his tenure was marked by widespread condemnation, and he faced hostility from his peers. Notably, Likud leader and then-prime minister Yitzhak Shamir publicly denounced him as a “dangerous figure.” Kahane’s political career was characterized by attempts to introduce legislation deemed explicitly racist, which were largely rejected.
By the time of the next elections in 1988, Kach had been disqualified from participating in Israeli politics due to its incitement of racism. Kahane was assassinated in New York City on November 5, 1990, and his movement was banned as a terrorist organization in 1994 following the massacre at Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque by his follower Baruch Goldstein.
Vaturi’s comments have drawn sharp rebukes from various quarters. Naama Lazimi, a member of the Knesset representing the Democrats, announced plans to request a criminal investigation into Vaturi for his support of a terrorist organization. Lazimi stated, “There is a clear line between the escalation of Jewish terror in the territories and the normalisation of Kahane in the Israeli Knesset; we will clean it up.”
Others within the Likud party also voiced disapproval. Moshe Saada remarked on Army Radio that Kahane was correctly excluded from the party due to his anti-democratic and racist views, asserting that those who left the plenum during his speeches acted in accordance with the party’s values.
The response from the political community reflects broader concerns regarding the rise of Kahanist ideology in Israel. Anton Shalhat, chair of the I’lam Media Center, indicated that Vaturi’s remarks highlight an increasing level of open support for Kahane’s ideas, which had previously been more covert. He noted, “Whenever there is a national confrontation, slogans like ‘Kahane was right’ appear on the streets.”
Vaturi’s comments come shortly after two members of the Kahanist-inspired Jewish Power party participated in a conference marking the 35th anniversary of Kahane’s death. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister and a former member of Kach, has been vocal about his admiration for Kahane, advocating for the annexation of the West Bank.
The influence of Kahane’s legacy is evident among far-right Israeli settlers, with Goldstein’s grave frequently visited during national holidays. Shalhat emphasizes that the existence of parties like Jewish Power demonstrates the enduring impact of Kahanist ideology in contemporary Israeli politics. He remarked, “The far right now openly embraces these extremist, populist, and fascist ideas without the slightest sense of shame.”
Israel’s political landscape has shifted significantly towards the right over the last two decades, with figures once considered extreme now holding prominent positions. Shalhat concludes that the current political climate is marked by hostility not only towards Palestinians and Arabs but also towards Jews who oppose far-right ideologies, indicating a troubling evolution in the nation’s political discourse.
