Combating Hate: Cyber Safety

E-mail Wrongly Suggests U.S. Designated Israel as 'Terrorist Sponsor'

An email/blog posting alleging that the Obama Administration has designated Israel as a "terrorist sponsor" country or that Israeli citizens arriving in the United States are detained by immigration enforcement authorities for special screening on this basis is erroneous.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) issued a statement on July 6, 2011 saying reports that Israel is included in this list are inaccurate and based on flawed information provided during the preparation of a report by the ICE Inspector General.

In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, an agency spokesperson, Gillian Christiansen, said:

"The addition of Israel in the OIG's list of ICE's 'Third-Agency Checks' (TAC) was based on inaccurate information provided to the OIG during the course of its audit.  The U.S. does not and never has considered Israel to have links to terrorism, but rather they are a partner in our efforts to combat global terrorism. The United States maintains close intelligence-sharing relationships with Israel in order to address security issues within its own borders and in our mutual pursuit of safety and security around the globe."