Israel Included On US Homeland Security Terrorism Watch List – OpEd

By Lizzy Ratner

Yep, you read the headline right. On May 1oth, the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General committed the diplomatic equivalent of a Freudian slip when it included Israel on a list of rogue terror states, YNet reports. Nor was Israel the only ally on the list. Also included? Such sterling friends as Bahrain, Turkey, Morocco, and the Philippines.

But before you get too excited, the Department of Homeland Security has already issued an apology to Israel, brushing off the matter as a silly misunderstanding.

“The addition of Israel to the list… was based on inaccurate information provided to the OIG [Office of the Inspector General] during the course of its audit,” said John Morton, director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of DHS.

Hm, “inaccurate information“? Sounds fishy. Maybe whoever was compiling the list simply didn’t realize Israel was an ally. Or maybe he or she just has a deliciously pointed sense of humor.