Alexander Heifler, accused of plotting to assassinate Nerdeen Kiswani, was part of a group influenced by Meir Kahane and the Jewish Defense League. What is the JDL, who is Kahane, and how do they continue to inspire Zionist violence?

Despite the mutual admiration between Zionists and fascists, they are usually seen as separate political movements. However, when viewed through the lens of Western racism, colonialism, and imperialism, the connections become clear.

Palestinians are warning of threats by Israeli religious extremists and Christian Zionists to demolish the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, making way for the Third Jewish Temple.

The ICJ ruled that Israel’s Gaza campaign poses a plausible and urgent threat of genocide. Future historians of Jewish messianism may recount how in 2024 “redemption through sin” became “redemption through genocide,” with unconditional U.S. support.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of self-described “proud racist” May Golan as Consul General in New York will likely alienate more American Jews from Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s radical rightwing ministers’ agenda is the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank. And yet high Biden officials are meeting with Netanyahu today, and Secretary Blinken is due out within a couple of weeks, all to give Biden’s blessing to the new government — and perform what the State Department admitted yesterday is “triage” on the failure of the two-state solution.

Israel’s steady lurch to the right is a predictable outcome for a country founded on Jewish supremacy and discrimination against Palestinians. 

This election could also be viewed as the outcome of longstanding antidemocratic forces, an inheritance from fascistic leaders like Vladimir “Ze’ev” Jabotinsky, rabbis like Meir Kahane,  the unwillingness of sequential Israeli governments (left to right) to control a violent and rabid settler movement, and even the consequences of the Zionist movement itself which preached not only Jewish nationalism, but Jewish supremacy. 

It is not Palestinians who seem most concerned about a major right-wing victory in Israeli elections next week, it is Israel’s liberal supporters in the United States. 

Shaul Magid’s biography of Meir Kahane is timely because Kahane is an icon for the messianic Jewish leaders who are pushing the country further right. The book is Magid’s “attempt to understand his worldview.” But Kahane’s worldview is easy to understand: Jews must forever rule the Promised Land. And that extremist religious Zionism now sets the agenda for the country.

The Biden administration has dropped any sense of urgency when it comes to demanding an investigation for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, even if they won’t admit it.