I have no problem with this Plain Ol! My only hesitation, is that these individuals should renounce their American citizenship and although I have no objections to them visiting or even living in America, they are Israelis and NOT Americans! Again, I have no qualms with Jews who want to defend and support Israel. Obviously you do!
On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 1:29 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected]> wrote: > Americans join, die for the Israeli army over allegiance to Jewish > homeland > 1 / 6 > In this June 2012 photo courtesy of Stuart Steinberg, Max Steinberg poses > on a trip to Israel. Stuart Steinberg confirmed the death of his son Max > Steinberg to The Associated Press on Sunday, July, 20, 2014. Steinberg, > whose family lives in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, was a > sharpshooter for the Golani Brigade in the Israel Defense Forces. (AP > Photo/Courtesy of Stuart Steinberg) > The Associated Press > <http://connect.pennlive.com/staff/pennap/photos.html> > Print > <http://blog.pennlive.com/midstate_impact/print.html?entry=/2014/07/israel_idf_americans_in_idf_ga.html> > [image: Ivey DeJesus | [email protected]] > <http://connect.pennlive.com/staff/idejesus/index.html> By Ivey DeJesus | > [email protected] > <http://connect.pennlive.com/staff/idejesus/posts.html> > Email the author | Follow on Twitter <http://twitter.com/iveydejesus> > on July 31, 2014 at 1:51 PM, updated August 01, 2014 at 6:50 AM > > Traci Siegel grew up strongly identifying with her Jewish roots. The > former Susquehanna Township resident attended Jewish schools, Jewish summer > camps and took several family trips to Israel. > > "I loved it there," said Siegel, who was 14 the first time she traveled to > Israel. > > Two years ago, after completing her undergraduate degree at the University > of Maryland, Siegel moved to Israel, and before long, volunteered to serve > in the Israel Defense Forces. > > "I saw my future here," she said during a phone interview this week from > Jerusalem. "I identified with the culture and with the people, especially > with my interest in politics." > > For Siegel, as with many of the young Americans who put their lives at > risk to defend Israel, her commitment to serve was a natural extension of > her affinity to the Jewish homeland. > > "Most people here serve in the military," said Siegel, 25. "It's so much a > part of the culture and identity. I thought it was a good idea to serve to > integrate myself better." > [image: Traci Siegel, IDF]Harrisburg native Traci Siegel moved to Israel > and joined the Israel Defense Forces. She said a desire to integrate into > the country's culture and identity compelled her to join. She completed her > service in April. Her parents live in Susquehanna Township.Courtesy of > Traci Siegel > > The bloody conflict escalation between Israel and Hamas has shed light on > the number of Americans serving in the IDF, and the weight of their > sacrifice. Since the start of the fighting three weeks ago, at least two > Americans have been killed: Max Steinberg, 24, of California, and Nissim > Sean Carmeli, 22, of Texas. > > "They are defending their homeland on a national level and their own > families and friends on a personal level," said Aviva Miskin, of > Harrisburg, whose two sons live in Israel, and as citizens must meet the > country's compulsory army and reserve obligations. "It is their duty and > responsibility to serve and defend their country against terrorist attacks." > > In the 23 days of fighting, approximately 1,300 Palestinians and 56 > Israeli soldiers have been killed. International efforts to end the > fighting have failed. Palestinian leaders - including Hamas and Islamic > Jihad leaders - were expected in Cairo in the coming days to discuss a new > truce proposal. > > On Thursday, The Times of Israel was reporting that ceasefire > negotiations were at a dead end > <http://www.timesofisrael.com/ceasefire-talks-at-dead-end-palestinian-official-says/> > . > > In interviews with other media, IDF spokeswoman Lt. Libby Weiss reports > that close to 1,000 Americans serve in the IDF. In total, the force has > about 4,000 non-Israeli-born troops, or lone soldiers, foreign nationals > who volunteer to serve in the IDF. Lone soldiers are different than the > American citizens who have become Israeli citizens and serve in the IDF. > > "These are kids who have a strong sense of who they are and they > understand history and feel that by doing this they are protecting > democracy and Jews worldwide," said Philip Berry, Mid-Atlantic region > executive director of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces > <http://www.fidf.org/page.aspx?pid=194>, an organization that works to > support lone soldiers and their families. "They have a strong sense of > community and love for the U.S. and Israel." > "They are defending their homeland on a national level and their own > families and friends on a personal level." - Aviva Miskin > > Israel grants citizenship to all Jews. Foreign nationals, as with > Israeli-born citizens, who meet the requirements for admission into the > military > <http://www.nbn.org.il/aliyahpedia/army/serving-in-the-israeli-army.html>, > must serve out their compulsory service. The mandatory service applies to > men age 18-25 and women age 17-20. > > His family tree bearing the names of relatives who perished in the > Holocaust, Williamsport attorney Clifford Rieders said the decision by his > daughter Kaila to move to Israel and join the army did not surprise him. > > "We are very proud of her," Rieders said. Kaila, who is 23, reports for > basic training on Aug. 24. > > The weight of the sacrifice - particularly in the wake of the deaths of > the two American soldiers - weigh on young Americans in Israel. > > "I think all deaths are sad but there is something really special about > someone who came here and left their home to do something they really > wanted to do and give his life for it," Siegel said. "It's just sad. These > people a made choice and knew what they were doing. We are just very > grateful for them." > > To be sure, such commitment also weighs heavily on the families in the > U.S. watching the events in Israel and Gaza unfold. > > "It's very a frightening situation," said Rabbi Eric Cytryn of Beth El > Temple in Harrisburg, whose daughter, Sarah, her husband and nine-month son > live in Israel. Gabi Mitchell, Cytryn's son-in-law, serves in the IDF. > > "No one should have to live under the threat of having missiles shot at > you by your neighbors. We are scared for our children on that level but we > are hopeful that this will all stop as soon as possible." > > Cytryn was in Jerusalem a few weeks ago when the first wave of rockets > aimed at Israel were destroyed by the country's Iron Dome defense system. > > For now, he takes comfort in the fact that they will return to the states > in a few weeks, as his son-in-law prepares to enter into a doctorate > program at Virginia Tech. > > "It makes us feel happy," Cytryn said. "They will be two-and-a-half hours > away. There's probably little danger that Maryland and North Carolina will > want to shoot missiles at them." > > Eva Siegel, Traci's mother, also finds a measure of comfort knowing her > daughter lives in Jerusalem, and not closer to Gaza. But in a country the > size of New Jersey, distances are relative. A few weeks ago, she was on the > phone with her daughter when the sirens went off, warning Israeli citizens > of incoming rockets. > > "Most of the time I know she's safe," Eva Siegel said. "I know Israel is > doing whatever it can to protect its citizens. It's a tough situation, > though, knowing you child is in country at war." > > Siegel said that while it's a heroic sacrifice for Americans to live a > safe country and volunteer to serve in the IDF, she mourns the lives of all > who have been killed in the fighting. > > Although she had reservations when Traci first told her of her decision to > move to Israel, Eva Siegel says she is nothing but proud of her daughter's > decision. > > "The path she chose, to move to Israel all alone, is very challenging > under the best of circumstances," she said. "It is hard enough for young > college graduates to become independent here. She is navigating life in a > foreign country....While we miss her, we are proud and supportive of the > choices she has made." > > Siegel, who completed her service with the Israeli Air Force in April, > will attend Tel Aviv University in the fall where she will start a Masters > program in public policy. > > Although she is fiercely loyal and supportive of Israel, Traci Siegel > would prefer to see Israel resolve the conflict in a diplomatic way, rather > than wage a war. > > "I moved here and served in the army," she said. "All I want to do is > serve this country. I just think I have a different vision of how things > could work." > --- > 1,000 Americans Are Serving in the Israeli Army and They Aren’t Alone > The Jewish state is one of four that let U.S. citizens in their > militaries. > > The death of two Americans serving in Israel’s military in this weekend’s > fighting with Hamas in Gaza is not the first time Americans have died while > serving in foreign militaries. > > Max Steinberg, 24, of California, and Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, of Texas, > were serving in the Israeli army when they died along with 11 other Israeli > soldiers over the weekend. At least 60 Palestinians were also killed. > > “All of them have joint citizenship,” Maya Kadosh, Israel’s Houston-based > deputy consul to the Southwest United States, told *The New York Times > <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/world/middleeast/2-americans-among-israeli-soldiers-killed-in-gaza.html>*. > “They are very proud. They are not less American when they serve in the > army. They are more American. They feel they protect the values of the > place they came from, and they also protect the values of the state of > Israel.” > > Steinberg and Carmeli were not alone in Israel. Today, the Jewish state > has one of the largest number of Americans serving in its military, with > roughly 1,000 Americans who did not grow up there serving, said Israeli > Defense Force (IDF) spokeswoman Lt. Libby Weiss. In total, it has about > 4,000 non-Israeli-born troops. > > While Israel is a bit of a special case—foreign-born Jews often serve in > the Israeli military thanks to that country’s right of return—three other > militaries either actively recruit Americans or are open to them. Australia > and New Zealand both have programs to fill spots in their militaries by > active-duty or veteran service members, and the French Foreign Legion is > legendary for taking almost anyone who shows up at their recruitment > offices outside Paris. (Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl reportedly tried to join the > Legion > <http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-bowe-bergdahl-20140602> > before enlisting in the U.S. Army.) > > But estimating the number of Americans serving in foreign militaries is > fiendishly difficult, since it includes both U.S. citizens serving in the > aforementioned militaries and dual-citizens serving in the militaries of > the other countries. A State Department official said the department > doesn’t track who is serving in foreign armies. > > Dual citizenship can sometimes complicate things for traveling Americans, > though. There have been several instances of 18-year-old men vacationing in > ye olde country and then finding out they’re responsible for national > service there. In 2004, a Korean-American man, born in the United States, > was teaching English outside Seoul when he was drafted into the South > Korean army for two years > <http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/The-accidental-citizen-soldier-1141729.php> > after he failed to fill out his paperwork renouncing his Korean citizenship > before his 18th birthday. He was stopped while trying to return to the U.S. > and conscripted. > > While forced conscription of Americans is rare, the practice of > volunteering has a storied history. Before the United States joined the > Allies in WWI, a number of Americans joined the Canadian army to get in on > the action. During the 1930s, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish > Civil War was made up exclusively of Americans fighting against the > fascists. By the time of Pearl Harbor, more than 6,000 U.S. citizens were > serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force and 10,000 in the Canadian Army, > according to Col. Stanley W. Dzuiban, author of *Military Relations > Between the United States and Canada, 1939-1945*. > > For the most part, this is all legal. Prior to 1967, Americans risked > losing their citizenship if they joined a foreign military or even voted in > a foreign election. That year, the Supreme Court decision in *Afroyim v. > Rusk* established that citizenship is a constitutional right and can’t be > stripped involuntarily. So, you’re free to join up with whatever military > that will take you, as long as you don’t engage in active hostilities > against the U.S. What is illegal is recruiting within the U.S. So, > traveling to Israel to join is OK, but the IDF won’t be setting up next to > the U.S. Army recruiting station in Times Square any time soon. > > Of course, non-state actors, such as al Qaeda, ISIS, the FSA, Libyan > rebels, etc. accept Americans, but that’s frowned upon by the State > Department. > > One peril while serving in a foreign military: the possibility of > committing war crimes. Chuckie Taylor, son of Liberian warlord Charles > Taylor, was an American citizen who was convicted in 2008 in Florida for > torture in the Liberian civil war. He was the first American convicted on > U.S. soil for crimes against humanity in another country. > > And let’s not even get into the case of John Walker Lindh, the “American > Taliban,” currently serving time after being captured in Afghanistan in > 2001. His family argued in his trial that he only joined a foreign > military, the Taliban, and didn’t intend to fight the U.S., but that didn’t > fly. > The U.S. military likewise is open to non-citizens > <http://www.uscis.gov/news/fact-sheets/naturalization-through-military-service-fact-sheet>, > with all active-duty personnel able to file for citizenship immediately and > receive expedited treatment from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration > Services. From September 2002 to May 2013, almost 90,000 members of the > Armed Forces gained citizenship. > > > > On Thursday, October 9, 2014 11:38:42 AM UTC-5, KeithInTampa wrote: >> >> http://freebeacon.com/national-security/dem-rep-40- >> american-isil-fighters-have-already-returned-to-the-united-states/ >> >> Dem Rep: 40 American ISIL Fighters Have Already Returned to the United >> States >> These individuals under surveillance, 'being tracked' by the FBI >> SHARE >> <http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://freebeacon.com/national-security/dem-rep-40-american-isil-fighters-have-already-returned-to-the-united-states/> >> TWEET >> <http://twitter.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Ffreebeacon.com%2Fnational-security%2Fdem-rep-40-american-isil-fighters-have-already-returned-to-the-united-states%2F&text=Dem%20Rep:%2040%20American%20ISIL%20Fighters%20Have%20Already%20Returned%20to%20the%20United%20States> >> EMAIL >> [image: AP] >> <http://freebeacon.com/national-security/dem-rep-40-american-isil-fighters-have-already-returned-to-the-united-states/> >> >> AP >> >> >> BY: Adam Kredo <http://freebeacon.com/author/adam-kredo/> >> September 19, 2014 9:35 am >> >> Rep. Tim Bishop (D., N.Y.) warned during a recent speech that up to 40 >> radicalized U.S. citizens who have fought alongside the Islamic State of >> Iraq and Levant (ISIL or ISIS) have already returned to the United States, >> where they could pose a terrorist threat. >> >> Bishop claims that of the 100 or so Americans who have traveled to the >> Middle East to join ISIL’s ranks, some 40 have returned and are currently >> being surveilled by the FBI, according to his remarks, which were filmed >> and uploaded >> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5gPDpYSMyw&list=UUqNfXxfww4ATBZsbv64nwRg> >> to >> YouTube last week. >> >> “One of the concerns is the number of U.S. citizens who have left our >> country to go join up with ISIS,” Bishop said during the speech. “It is >> believed there have been some number up to 100 that have done that.” >> >> “It is also believed that some 40 of those who left this country to join >> up with ISIS have now returned to our country,” Bishop said, eliciting >> shocked responses from some in the crowd. >> >> These 40 individuals, Bishop said, “are under FBI attention and >> surveillance. So they are known and being tracked by the FBI.” >> >> Lawmakers have warned that radicalized ISIL fighters could clandestinely >> enter the United States through the porous southern border. >> >> U.S. officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other >> security agencies have said that while the southern border poses a risk, >> they are more concerned about lone wolf attacks in which an isolated >> radicalized individual with sympathy to ISIL carries out a solo terror >> attack. >> >> Bishop said that while ISIL poses and extreme threat, it is not yet >> capable of attacking the United States, though that could change as the >> group grows in strength and resources. >> >> “It is a very, very complex and very, very dangerous threat and I think >> the plan that the president outlined the other night [in his national >> speech] is a good plan,” Bishop maintained. >> >> President Obama “is correct to recognize the threat, and it clearly is a >> threat to the stability of the Middle East, a region that is already >> remarkably unstable,” Bishop said. >> >> “It is not yet a threat to the homeland, but there is a concern that it >> could metastasize in such a way that it could become a threat to the >> homeland,” Bishop said, echoing concerns expressed by lawmakers on both >> sides of the isle. >> >> “But at the present time, the intelligence is ISIS does not present a >> threat to the homeland, although that is not something that will remain >> static going out into the future,” Bishop said, describing the regional >> upheaval as “more of a political conflict in the Arab world then a >> sectarian conflict” between Muslims. >> >> DHS has said that while there is no evidence of a direct threat by ISIL >> to the United States, it is aware that the group’s affiliates have been >> discussing the possibility of crossing the southern border. >> >> “There have been Twitter, social media exchanges among ISIL adherents >> across the globe speaking about that as a possibility,” Francis Taylor, >> under secretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS, told senators during >> a recent hearing >> <http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-confirms-isil-planning-infiltration-of-u-s-southern-border/> >> . >> >> Other U.S. officials also have discussed the possibility of an ISIL >> adherent carrying out an attack on the United States. >> >> “We remain mindful of the possibility that an ISIL-sympathizer—perhaps >> motivated by online propaganda—could conduct a limited, self-directed >> attack here at home with no warning,” Matthew Olsen, director of the U.S. >> National Counterterrorism Center, said in a speech earlier this month. >> >> “We have seen ISIL use a range of media to tout its military >> capabilities, executions of captured soldiers, and consecutive battlefield >> victories,” Olsen said. “More recently, the group’s supporters have >> sustained this momentum on social media by encouraging attacks in the U.S. >> and against U.S. interests in retaliation for our airstrikes. ISIL has used >> this propaganda campaign to draw foreign fighters to the group, including >> many from Western >> >> http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/10/08/gop-rep-at- >> least-ten-isis-fighters-have-been-caught-coming-across-the- >> mexican-border/ >> > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "PoliticalForum" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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