Naftush
Yes technically it was Kastner was not the defendent, so what? Historically it is still called the “Kastner Trial”.
Secondly, What leap of faith are you talking about?
Mr Hecht makes very little of an arguement of his own the bulk of his book is simply a recording of an actual trial (a very famous trial at the time) that took place.
Mr. Hecht is simply laying out the facts that were virtually proven at the trial,(Yes they were not able to be totally proven since Kastner was suspiciously killed) that Kastner was basically a collaberator for 90% of the time with the Nazis YM”s and he did his work with the implicit knowledge and actual instructions of many of the lading lights of the secular Zionist movement at the time.
And it is quite well known to any objective historian that aside from Jabotinsky and his group the vast majority of real efforts to save Yidden during the Holocaust was made by Frum Yidden led by the Gedolim.
The secular Zionist leadership was at the best complacent and at the worst activley worked to thwart many Hatzolah plans.
This is proven in the transcripts of the trial as recorded by the secular jewish zionist Ben Hecht and there is no real ansewer to it other then to ban his book.