JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, March 27, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Despite Ambassador Mike Huckabee's claim on X that there are no American citizens stranded in Israel, I am one of over 8,000 American citizens being forced into a war zone in Israel against our will. We committed no crimes, are no threat to public health or morals, and are not a threat to national security - which are the only legal reasons to detain American citizens in Israel. Our detention unnecessarily endangers our lives and health. It also violates the following laws that Israel signed:

A) Article 20 of the Friendship Treaty Between Israel & the USA (23 August 1951)
(https://treaties.un.org/Pages/showDetails.aspx?objid=080000028014864b&clang=_en )
B) Article 12.2 of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (16 December 1966)
(https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights )
C) Paragraph 6 of the Israeli Basic Law: Human Dignity & Liberty (17 March 1992)
(https://main.knesset.gov.il/en/activity/pages/basiclaws.aspx )

During the current war with Iran, the U.S. State Department instructed all American citizens in Israel to leave because the entire nation is in a war zone – which endangers our lives. The U.S. Embassy organized groups to leave Israel through the border with Egypt. I joined one of those official groups in compliance with the State Department's instructions. However, Israeli border control pulled me out of the U.S. Embassy's group and forced me back into the war zone. I video recorded this:

https://youtu.be/2nnllqh8EDE

"We endanger you, yes. Absolutely, yes."

These are the exact words of the immigration official at the Israeli border with Egypt. What crime did I commit that was so severe to justify holding me hostage and endangering my life (alongside over 8,000 American citizens like me)?

Despite the U.S. State Department's claim that, "The U.S. government cares about your safety," the reality on the ground is very different. The U.S. Embassy in Israel refuses to help American Jews being held hostage by Israeli authorities. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that there is no task force in place to hold Israel accountable in their treatment of American Jews under the Friendship Treaty Between Israel & the USA. Quite the opposite, Embassy staff silence American Jews who are trapped in Israel from reporting our plight and discussing viable solutions. They block us from contacting the Ambassador and stonewall every correspondence that we send.

This is an anti-Semetic double standard because Embassy staff do provide such services to Arab Americans in the West Bank. They actively hold townhall meetings in places like Ramallah and Bethlehem where they appeal to Arab Americans to share their struggles with staff. They diligently forward these reports to the Ambassador to discuss with Israeli and Palestinian authorities. They appoint Citizen Liaison Volunteers for Arab Americans to have regular access to Embassy resources. When an American Jew risks his or her life to enter places like Ramallah or Bethlehem to attend one of these townhall meetings, he or she will hear an hour-long lecture on many services that Embassy staff offer to Arab Americans.

NONE OF THESE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO AMERICAN JEWS!

Embassy staff made clear to me that "ordinary citizens" have no access to the Ambassador (who is responsible for our wellbeing). It seems that only American Jews are "ordinary citizens" in this environment. When Mike Huckabee was "only" a presidential candidate, he was happy to meet with me during his visit to Jerusalem. Even President Obama held townhall meetings with American citizens (regardless of ethnicity) during his presidential visit to Israel. I hope President Trump will also host a townhall meeting for any American citizens (regardless of ethnicity) during his upcoming visit to Israel.

Does an Ambassador outrank a president? No. When I lived in China, the U.S. Ambassador to China travelled to every major city in China where American citizens resided and treated us to dinner! Every American citizen in China (regardless of ethnicity) had equal access to the Ambassador to share our concerns and struggles. The policy of blocking "ordinary citizens" (i.e. American Jews) from contacting the Ambassador is unique to the U.S. Embassy in Israel.

Why prevent over 8,000 American Jews trapped in Israel from equal access to share our plight with the Ambassador? Why not appoint Citizen Liaison Volunteers for American Jews like the embassy currently does for Arab Americans? Why is there no task force to hold Israeli authorities accountable for their treatment of American citizens within their borders? Embassy staff provide the Ambassador with a distorted and inaccurate picture of the facts on the ground for his constituents.

# # #