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New York NY, June 8, 2017 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed the arrest of two individuals from New York and Michigan for their alleged activities on behalf of Hezbollah, the Lebanese-based terrorist organization that is responsible for the murder of many Americans and Jews worldwide.
The arrest follows ADL's testimony today to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearings in which a series of recommendations designed to limit the influence, capability, and reach of the terror group were presented.
According to the allegations, the two individuals were recruited to Hezbollah, went through significant training, and performed different missions on behalf of the organization’s unit in charge of “planning and coordination of intelligence, counterintelligence, and terrorist activities” mostly overseas. Some of these missions involved locating U.S. and Israeli embassies abroad, possibly as part of preparations to attack these facilities. Moreover, one of the two individuals allegedly was responsible for “identifying individuals affiliated with the Israeli Defense Force, gathering information regarding operations and security at airports in the U.S. and elsewhere, and surveilling U.S. military and law enforcement facilities in Manhattan and Brooklyn”.
ADL's Center on Extremism has been tracking Hezbollah’s activities in the U.S., which focused mostly on gathering and sending money to the organization, what makes this arrest unique.
“We applaud law enforcement’s important work in fighting terrorism domestically and abroad,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Hezbollah continues to be a significant threat to the United States and to one of its key allies, Israel, and these recent arrests prove that we must continue to invest in this fight."
ADL’s Center on Extremism fights extremism, terrorism and all forms of hate in the real world and cyberspace with unmatched capabilities in research, analysis, investigation, and online monitoring. Recognized as the foremost authority on extremism, the Center provides resources, expertise and training which enables law enforcement, public officials, community leaders and internet and technology companies to identify and counter emerging threats.