US Jewish leader: Netanyahu far-right merger creates ‘very disturbing’ image of Israel

A prominent Jewish-American leader says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance with an far-right political party has raised significant concerns among US Jews.

Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, says the political alliance has created a “very disturbing” image that Israel’s enemies could exploit.

Netanyahu last week welcomed a merger that folded the Otzma Yehudit party into the larger Jewish Home party for April elections. As part of their deal, Netanyahu gave the merged party a seat on his Likud Party’s list of candidates and guaranteed them two Cabinet positions if he wins.

Otzma Yehudit’s leadership is made up of disciples of the American-born Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose Jewish supremacist Kach party was banned under Israeli law for incitement to racism and later declared a terrorist group.

— with AP