Radical Rabbi Meir Kahane Loses U.S. Citizenship
The State Department said Friday that Rabbi Meir Kahane, the radical Israeli political leader, has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship because of his membership in the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament.
The department said it issued a “certificate of loss of nationality” for Kahane on Wednesday stating that he had expatriated himself, effective Aug. 13, 1984, by assuming his seat in the Knesset.
Kahane has become that country’s most controversial politician since winning his parliamentary seat in 1984. He based his campaign on a platform calling for expulsion of all Arabs under Israeli rule.
The Brooklyn-born Kahane emigrated to Israel 14 years ago. During a visit to the United States last month, he said that he had not given up his American citizenship because he felt he would have difficulty obtaining a visa.
The State Department declined to speculate on whether Kahane would be allowed to visit the United States as an Israeli citizen. It said visa applications are judged on a case-by-case basis.
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