Jewish American deported from Israel

Shneor Zalman Hatzkolevitch, 28, of New York City, was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Associated Press

Israel has deported a Jewish American man for allegedly committing offenses that could endanger the security of the state, an Israeli official said Thursday.

According to Israeli media, Shneor Zalman Hatzkolevitch, 28, of New York City, was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in protest of Israel’s recent withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Sabin Haddad, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman, said the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, asked that Hatzkolevitch be deported.

“He was expelled on Tuesday,” Haddad said.

Israel rarely deports American Jews for security reasons. But a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Hatzkolevitch had also visited countries hostile to Israel.

In August, Israel deported an Israeli-American for 40 days for fear he planned to carry out attacks against Arabs meant to derail the Gaza withdrawal. The pullout was completed earlier this month.