The United States on Thursday condemned the visit of Israeli right-winger Ben Gvir to a memorial event for extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in 1990.
The State Department has spoken out in this case in the Biden Administration’s first criticism of Zionist party leader Otzma Yehudit, who aspires to become Israel’s next security minister.
«Celebrating the legacy of a terrorist organization is abhorrent; there is no other word for it. It is abhorrent,» said Department spokesman Ned Price.
Price also said U.S. officials are concerned about the legacy of Kahane Chai, an anti-Arab group founded by Meir Kahane’s son, Binyamin Kahane, which advocated the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
«We have condemned incitement, we have condemned violence and racism in all its forms,» the Department spokesman maintained, after expressing unease at the «continued use of rhetoric by violent right-wing extremists.»
In this sense, he considered that «there is a good reason» to continue designating Kahane Chai as a ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ (SDGT), despite the fact that he has clarified that he is not included in the list of foreign terrorist organizations, due to the group’s inactivity.
«We urge all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint and refrain from actions that only serve to exacerbate tensions, and that includes Jerusalem,» Price added.
Gvir has been booed at the rabbi’s 32nd birthday ceremony when he indicated that he does not «agree with all of his views.» However, he justified his attendance «for the love of Israel» and the «struggle of the Soviet Union and against anti-Semitism,» he explained in a message on his Twitter profile.
