USCIS scrutinizes Israeli applicants' IOF history: Israeli media
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Israeli media sheds light on new US Citizenship and Immigration Services' regulations, which involve digging into the past of Israeli applicants who have worked with the Israeli occupation forces.
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Maweya Babekir, of Iowa City, Iowa, holds a flag before taking the Oath of Allegiance at Principal Park, on June 26, 2020. (AP)
Yuval, a senior manager at a high-tech company in Silicon Valley, received a letter from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) last week confirming that his application for a "green card" had been processed and sent to him, a report by Israeli website Ynet wrote. However, according to the report, the contents of the letter came as a surprise; "In your application, you indicated that you served in the Israel Defense Forces from 2005 to 2008. Please provide additional information about your military service so that we can proceed with a final decision on your case."
The letter further stated, "You are required to submit an affidavit detailing your military service. This affidavit must address the following questions: Did you participate in combat during your military tenure? If yes, please elaborate on your role and activities in these engagements. Did you hold a leadership position in the military? If so, outline the aspects of your command. Have you been involved in guarding detainees or commanding others to do so? Were you trained in handling explosives or weapons during your military service? If yes, specify the types of weaponry or explosives you received training on."
The letter adds, "Have you ever actually used weapons or explosives? If so: what weapons or explosives did you use? How did you use weapons or explosives? On how many occasions did you use weapons or explosives? How often did you use weapons or explosives?; Did you use a weapon and/or an explosive against another person? If so, the circumstances must be detailed, and explain why you used a weapon and/or an explosive against another person/people."
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According to the letter, as cited by the report, Yuval must produce the affidavit with answers that satisfy the immigration authority within 87 days, or else he will be deported from the USA.
Yuval's testimony read, "When I applied for my work visa two years ago, I provided details about my military service, confirming that I was discharged 16 years ago after completing a routine term with the Third Party. However, these new questions have shocked me; they feel as if they were directly copied from the Office of the Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague."
According to attorney Liam Schwartz, head of the relocation department at the Goldfarb, Gross, Seligman firm, the USCIS is implementing a new policy toward Israelis. Under this policy, individuals are questioned about their military service, both current and past, with specific inquiries aimed at understanding if they have been "involved in using weapons or explosives against others, potentially to ascertain any involvement in war crimes. Questions regarding the custody of detainees are intended to identify military and police personnel involved in arrests in Judea and Samaria. Additionally, inquiries about active participation as a combatant in battles may influence the authorities' stance on acts classified as genocide," as reported by Ynet.
According to Ynet, Schwartz stressed that, "The new policy of the Immigration Authority is extremely worrisome and its impact on Israelis could be broad in areas such as relocation for work, academic degree studies, and family reunification."
