Army Radio reported that the emblem of the banned far-Right Kach movement, founded on the teachings of Rabbi Meir Kahane, was spotted on the uniform of an active IDF soldier.
source: jpost.com
Journalist Doron Kadosh photographed the patch near Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station and contacted the IDF for comment.
In its initial response, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit stated that “any non-military insignia on IDF uniforms is prohibited.”
However, Kadosh noted that the statement “did not contain a single word of condemnation about the symbol of a terrorist organization appearing on a soldier’s uniform.”
The IDF then issued an updated statement stressing that it “strongly condemns the use of political symbols on IDF uniforms, which harms the IDF as the State’s army.” The military added that if the soldier is identified, he will face disciplinary action.
Who are Kach, and why is the party banned?
The Kach party was founded in 1971 by Rabbi Meir Kahane, leader of the Jewish Defense League. Kahane, assassinated in New York in 1990, was known for his radical anti-Arab rhetoric and calls for the forced “transfer” of Palestinians.
Before the 1984 elections, the Central Elections Committee banned the party, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision, and Kach won one Knesset seat with 1.2% of the vote.
In response, the Knesset amended the Basic Law to prohibit parties advocating racism from standing for election. As a result, Kach was barred from the 1988 race.
After Kahane’s death, the movement split into Kach and Kahane Chai, both of which were banned again in the 1992 elections.
In 1994, Kach member Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Muslims at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The attack led to both factions being formally designated as terrorist organizations and outlawed.