Kach as an organization will probably not survive for long. The movement was held together by Kahane's intensely charismatic personality, and there is no heir-apparent ready to take over. Chances are that the party will splinter, as so many other Israeli political movements have done in the past, and lose many members to other right-wing parties. The fanatical anti-Arab sentiment of Kahane's followers will probably survive without him.

With or without the party, the cycle of violence and retribution will continue. Israeli security analysts have noted that in the past, terrorist acts have come in clumps. Once one person or organization shows that a particular type of attack can be accomplished, other groups try to copy their success. Thus, it is entirely possible that Kahane's assassination forbodes a string of terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets within the United States--targets that were previously almost immune from attack.

America is not used to dealing with terrorism within its borders; we are used to people being shot in New York for their wallets, not their principles. Arab terrorism in the U.S. would undoubtedly turn public opinion against the Palestinian cause, thus further sapping momentum for a peaceful settlement.

There is no way of telling how far the wheel of violence will turn. Kahane's teachings are now being disseminated far more widely than they were before, and a minority of Jews will regard him as a martyr. His followers are angry, looking for revenge, certainly in Israel and possibly even in the US. Israeli public mistrust of Arab, especially Palestinian intentions, will probably rise.

With the continuing American troop buildup in Saudi Arabia and the daily increases in tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, it may be only a matter of time before a minor incident provokes yet another Mid-East war.

And that intolerance and tension is just what Rabbi Meir Kahane would have wanted.