U.S. Immigration Authority Quizzing Israeli Visa Applicants About Military Duty, Work With ‘Detainees’

Israelis who served in the Israel Defense Forces who wish to immigrate to America are being asked questions about their service to determine if they were involved in any war crimes, according to a new report circulating in Israel.Y Net News reports that a senior manager at a Silicon Valley tech company, named only as Yuval, was questioned by the American immigration authority, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about his service with the IDF in a letter.“You must submit an affidavit under oath, describing your military service,” Y Net News reports. “As part of this affidavit, the following questions must be addressed: Did you participate as a combatant in battles during your military service? If so, please describe your activity/role in these battles.”The letter continued, “Did you command soldiers in the army? If yes, please describe the aspects of your command; Have you ever guarded (or commanded others to guard) detainees? Did you use explosives during your military service? If so, detail the types of weapons or explosives you were trained on.”The letter also included additional questions about potential experience Yuval had with explosives as well as the context in which he had this experience.While people who served in foreign militaries are normally asked about their time in said foreign military in applications for a green card and in other visa-related applications, Yuval told Y Net News that the questions about his military service “shocked” him.Attorney Liam Schwartz, of the Tel Aviv law firm Goldfarb, Seligman told Y Net News that questions about explosives are meant to “understand if you have committed war crimes.”“A question regarding the custody of detainees is intended to ‘catch’ the military personnel and police officers who participated in the arrests in the West Bank,” Mr. Schwartz said. “A demand for information regarding the active participation as a combatant in battles may also be used by the authorities for the purpose of formulating their position in relation to acts defined as genocide.”Mr. Schwartz characterized such questions as “extremely worrisome and its impact on Israelis could be broad in areas such as relocation for work, academic degree studies and family reunification.”

U.S. Immigration Authority Quizzing Israeli Visa Applicants About Military Duty, Work With ‘Detainees’

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