Israeli who joined ISIS may have citizenship revoked

The Israeli youth from Nazareth left Israel two months ago for either Syria or Iraq and recently made contact with his family again from a Turkish hospital.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

DECEMBER 23, 2014 02:56

An Islamic State fighter carries the group’s flag in Raqqa, north-central Syria. (photo credit: REUTERS) — An Islamic State fighter carries the group’s flag in Raqqa, north-central Syria.

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Interior Minister Gilad Erdan is considering if he will revoke the citizenship of an Israeli minor who joined Islamic State in Syria or Iraq and is now trying to come back home for medical treatment.

Erdan said, in an interview with Channel 2 on Monday, that he is waiting for Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's recommendation in order to decide how to proceed in revoking the citizenship of Marwan Haldi, a Nazareth resident, before he can return to Israel.

"This is someone who was most likely trained to kill as part of the most brutal terror organizations in the world," Erdan said in a statement to The Jerusalem Post. "It's up to me to seriously reconsider his return to Israel as well as his continuing to be a citizen."

Haldi reportedly left Israel about two months ago and had since cut off all ties with his family. However, a few days ago, his relatives were informed that he was in Turkey, hospitalized in serious condition and suffering from burns over his entire body. It was not reported how he sustained these injuries, however.

Problems initially began when relatives of Haldi requested a new copy of Marwan's passport from the Interior Ministry so that he could come back to Israel, but their request went unanswered. Now the family is threatening to take the case to the Supreme Court.

"Haldi's continued presence in Turkey could cause permanent damage to his health," said Haldi's attorney Hussein Abu Hussein.

Ben Hartman contributed to this report.