Local News in Brief : Jewish Council Sued by Rabbi’s Followers
Followers of the ultra right-wing Israeli Rabbi Meir Kahane are suing the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, contending they were wrongfully excluded from two upcoming Jewish festivals.
Kach International, which says its members look to Kahane as a spiritual leader, contends that it was improperly denied permission to set up booths at Jewish festivals scheduled at Pierce Community College in Woodland Hills on April 9 and Rancho Park in West Los Angeles on June 4.
Kahane, an American who emigrated to Israel, is a leader of the radical Kach Party, which advocates expulsion of Arabs from Israel.
The federation excluded Kach International because it represents an unpopular point of view, said Barry Fisher, an attorney for Kach International. But federation spokesman Ron Rieder said the organization has the right to keep politics out of its festivals.
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