US State Department spokesman Ned Price responded today to MK Itamar Ben-Gvir's participation in a memorial for Rabbi Meir Kahane in Jerusalem.
"Celebrating the legacy of a terrorist organization is abhorrent. There is no other word for it. It is abhorrent. We remain concerned by the legacy of Kahane Chai and the continued use of rhetoric among violent right-wing extremists. We've condemned incitement, violence and racism in all of it's forms. There's a good reason why Kahane Chai remains designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization. We urge all parties to maintain calm, exercise restraint and to refrain from actions that only serve to exacerbate tensions. That includes in Jerusalem,' Price said.
Price's comments follow Ben-Gvir's attendance of an event marking the 32nd anniversary of the assassination of Rabbi Meir Kahane Thursday night.
At the memorial, Ben-Gvir praised Rabbi Kahane while at the same time distancing himself from the Kach leader.
“It is no secret that today I am not Rabbi Kahane and I do not support the deportation of all Arabs, and I will not enact laws for separate beaches, although it is certain that we will act and do everything to expel terrorists from the country for the sake of the Jewish character of Israel, for the settlements and its Jewish identity,” he said, noting that there are things Rabbi Kahane did and said "that today I do not agree with."
He added: “But it seems to me that the highlight of Rabbi Kahane was love. Love for Israel without compromise, without any other consideration.”