Editing Kahanism (section)

==History==

=== [[File:Kahan.png]] Meir Kahane ===

Meir Kahane (1932–1990) was an American-Israeli rabbi, far-right political activist, and founder of the militant Jewish Defense League (JDL) in 1968, which aimed to combat antisemitism through aggressive means. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he became known for his strong nationalist views and belief in Jewish self-defense. In the 1970s, Kahane moved to Israel, where he founded the extremist Kach party, advocating for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel and the establishment of a theocratic Jewish state governed by Jewish law (halakha). He was elected to the Israeli Knesset in 1984 but was banned from politics in 1988 for inciting racism. Kahane's ideology, known as Kahanism, was widely condemned as extremist. He was assassinated in 1990 in New York City by an Egyptian gunman, but his ideas continue to influence radical factions in Israeli and Jewish politics.

=== Kach Party ===

==== Early Founding and Electoral Success ====
The Kach Party was founded by Meir Kahane in 1971, promoting an extreme form of Jewish nationalism called Kahanism. Initially, Kach operated at the political fringes of Israeli society, but its influence grew amid rising tensions during the 1970s and 1980s. Kahane gained notoriety for incendiary speeches and provocative acts, which resonated with some Israeli voters frustrated by the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1984, Kach won its first and only Knesset seat, with Kahane himself entering parliament. However, his tenure was marked by controversy; Kahane openly promoted racist policies, such as segregating Arabs from Jews and stripping non-Jews of Israeli citizenship.

==== Banning ====
In 1988, Israel’s Central Elections Committee disqualified Kach from participating in elections, citing laws against incitement to racism. The Israeli Supreme Court upheld this decision, effectively banning the party. After Kahane’s assassination '''in 1990''' in New York City, the party splintered into factions, with Kahane Chai (Kahane Lives) emerging as a successor.

==== [[File:Baruch Goldstein.png]] Cave of Patriarch Massacre ====
Following the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, in which Kach supporter [[File:Baruch Goldstein.png]] Baruch Goldstein murdered 29 Palestinian worshippers in Hebron, both Kach and Kahane Chai were designated '''terrorist organizations''' by Israel, the United States, Canada, and the European Union. Despite their outlawed status, remnants of Kahanist ideology persist among fringe groups and extremist settlers in Israel, continuing to influence radical elements of Israeli politics and society.

===Modern Day===
Today, while Kahanist organizations remain banned in their original form, the ideology survives through political rebranding, settler activism, and individuals like [[File:Ben-Gvir.png]] Ben-Gvir who have successfully entered the Israeli Knesset.