The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Friday ordered the Jerusalem International Convention Center (JICC) to pay supporters of the banned Kahane Chai terrorist organization NIS 18,000 in damages for canceling an agreement to host a ceremony on Thursday marking 10 years since the murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane, according to the Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
After the JICC agreed to host the event two weeks ago, the organizers deposited a NIS 20,000 check with it and placed advertisements in the press and put up posters throughout the capital advertising the ceremony, said the paper, but following the publication of the event, MK Ophir Pines (One Israel) sent a letter to the JICC deploring its decision to host the event.
Upon receipt of Pines's letter, the JICC backtracked on its agreement to host the memorial, and returned the deposit. Baruch Ben-Yosef, a lawyer representing the organizers of the memorial, then took the JICC to court for breach of contract.
On Friday, a Jerusalem Magistrate's Court judge ordered the JICC to pay the organizers NIS 18,000 in initial monetary damages due to the breaking of the contract, and left room for further damages.
According to US State Department, Kach (Hebrew for "Only Thus") was founded by radical Israeli-American rabbi Meir Kahane. The stated goal of Kach and its offshoot Kahane Chai, which means "Kahane Lives," (founded by Meir Kahane's son Binyamin following his father's assassination in the United States), is to restore the biblical state of Israel. Both organizations were declared to be terrorist organizations by the Israeli Cabinet in March 1994. This followed the groups' statements in support of Baruch Goldstein's attack in February 1994 on the al-Ibrahimi Mosque - Goldstein was affiliated with Kach.
Meir Kahane was murdered in New York on November 5, 1991 – (Several Sources)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
