Meir Kahane and the diffusion of antiliberal racism into Israeli society

Antiliberal tendencies have become more prominent in Israel in recent years. This chapter traces the roots of Israeli antiliberalism to the activities of Meir Kahane in the 1970s and 1980s. Born to a Jewish religious family in New York, Kahane was familiar with the notion of Jewish purity promoted by certain strands of orthodox Judaism, and was also extremely well-acquainted with antiliberal racism, particularly the systemic segregation between Black and white Americans. This chapter demonstrates that the main driving force behind Kahane’s activities in Israel was his adoption of systemic racism, inspired by American white supremacy. By using terms and ideas taken from Judaism, particularly the notion of religious purity, Kahane rephrased antiliberal racism in a way that was more appealing to the Israeli public, thus promoting the diffusion of antiliberal systemic racism into Israeli society. This chapter thus provides evidence of the importance of transnational diffusion for the spread of antiliberalism in Israel.