Three recipients of the Jabotinsky Centennial Medal have appealed to Premier Menachem Begin of Israel to release Rabbi Meir Kahane from prison where he has been incarcerated since last May and who began a hunger strike almost two weeks ago.
A letter signed by Moshe Brodetzky, Rabbi Herzel Kranz and Dr. William Perl, released by the Washington United Zionists Revisionists, urged Begin “to end the martyrdom” of Kahane and “to order his immediate unconditional release.”
The letter added: “Whether we agree or disagree with some on all of his actions, there can be no doubt that the former Betari is a Jewish patriot, a man of our flesh, our blood and our spirit and nobody forget Ze’ev Jabotinsky has done as much as he for Jewish identification in the United States.” Kahane was jailed for allegedly inciting against Arabs in Israel and in Judaea and Samaria.
Meanwhile, in New York, a spokesperson for the recently formed Ad Hoc Committee to Free Meir Kahane, described the leader of the Koch movement in Israel and the founder of the Jewish Defense League in the United States as “growing weak” from his fast. The spokesperson noted that it was ironic that Kahane continued to languish in prison “while 50 Arab terrorists were recently released as a gesture to President (Anwar) Sadat (of Egypt) and the Moslem holy day” of Id Al Adha 1st month.
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