Jewish dentist denied military clearance because he has family in Israel

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/divided-loyalties-queens-dentist-helping-navy-article-1.2469740

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[ingemann]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/divided-loyalties-queens-dentist-helping-navy-article-1.2469740

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Well it seems reasonable.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/divided-loyalties-queens-dentist-helping-navy-article-1.2469740

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Well it seems reasonable.

No, it really, really doesn't.

[ingemann]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/divided-loyalties-queens-dentist-helping-navy-article-1.2469740

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Well it seems reasonable.

No, it really, really doesn't.

When I was child professional soldiers in the Danish army was banned from visiting Yugoslavia (which was a neutral country and popular tourist spot before the wars), because the Danish state saw it as a security risk. The point about a army and other security forces is not to be fair or nice, it is to protect the state's security, and people with connections to the Israeli state are a security risk. So yes it's quite reasonable.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You can be denied a security clearance just for marrying a Canadian citizen. The requirements are quite strict and not all behavior prohibited by them is necessarily "bad". I'll point out that Israel has stolen classified information from the US before so there are valid concerns.

However I don't believe a base dentist should be subject to such a high level of scrutiny.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

However I don't believe a base dentist should be subject to such a high level of scrutiny.

This is a big part of why I think it's unreasonable.

[Landslide Lyndon]

However I don't believe a base dentist should be subject to such a high level of scrutiny.

This is a big part of why I think it's unreasonable.

Well, spies are usually people above suspicion.

[Cory]

I think we all know Rubio Republican wouldn't be posting this if the dentist had, say, family in Pakistan.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

It's almost as if people care about bigotry aimed directly against them.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Are family ties to Israel a valid concern? Yes.
Does a dentist need a security clearance? No.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Dentists can do all sorts of nefarious things. Haven't you ever watched Diamonds Are Forever?

More seriously, since it's an off base facility, the only reason I can think of for worrying about a security clearance for a dentist is that his patients might say something sensitive while under anesthesia.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

What are they worried about? Mossad gaining crucial military data on military personnel's flossing regime?

[Comrade Funk]

It's almost as if people care about bigotry aimed directly against them.

I care (I'm Jewish), but

I think we all know Rubio Republican wouldn't be posting this if the dentist had, say, family in Pakistan.

[MalaspinaGold]

It's almost as if people care about bigotry aimed directly against them.

The problem here is not this guy's ethnicity or his religion. It's that he has immediate family who are citizens of a foreign country in a militarily sensitive region of the world.

No one has a "right" to be in the military. Having close ties to foreigners is an impediment to serving effectively.

This almost certainly bars any Muslim/Middle Eastern Christians from the position does it not?

[MalaspinaGold]

It's almost as if people care about bigotry aimed directly against them.

The problem here is not this guy's ethnicity or his religion. It's that he has immediate family who are citizens of a foreign country in a militarily sensitive region of the world.

No one has a "right" to be in the military. Having close ties to foreigners is an impediment to serving effectively.

This almost certainly bars any Muslim/Middle Eastern Christians from the position does it not?

If they have immediate family living in their country of origin, as this guy does, of course it does.

Do you want to let somebody on a military base who's calling Mama and Uncle Ahmed in Syria or Iraq every week? Let's not be foolish.

FTR, several Middle Eastern members of my family have served in the military going back to the Korean War. But like most early/mid-20th century immigrants, they were people who didn't leave anything behind when they immigrated. No immediate family left overseas and very few opportunities to travel there. So the chances of someone having information intercepted or being blackmailed were lower. Obviously cell phones and online banking didn't exist. That's not the case for people nowadays.

I don't quite see the problem with this?

[SATW]

Not speaking for Rubio Republican, but I'm sure he'd agree with me: I would most definitely care if this happened to anyone of any other nationality or ethnicity as well.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

It's almost as if people care about bigotry aimed directly against them.

I care (I'm Jewish), but

I think we all know Rubio Republican wouldn't be posting this if the dentist had, say, family in Pakistan.

Who would have posted it if I didn't?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Not speaking for Rubio Republican, but I'm sure he'd agree with me: I would most definitely care if this happened to anyone of any other nationality or ethnicity as well.

Absolutely. I would think it was wrong. It seems like the height of paranoia. It does depend somewhat on the status of relations with the country, of course - an ally nation deserves less scrutiny - but in general, someone being an immigrant with family abroad should not disqualify someone from a military position.

But let's be real, incidents like this affecting Jewish people would get no airtime here unless Jewish people called attention to them. Jews are allowed to focus on anti-semitism much like any group is allowed to focus on incidents targeting them.

[MalaspinaGold]

Not speaking for Rubio Republican, but I'm sure he'd agree with me: I would most definitely care if this happened to anyone of any other nationality or ethnicity as well.

Absolutely. I would think it was wrong. It seems like the height of paranoia. It does depend somewhat on the status of relations with the country, of course - an ally nation deserves less scrutiny - but in general, someone being an immigrant with family abroad should not disqualify someone from a military position.

But let's be real, incidents like this affecting Jewish people would get no airtime here unless Jewish people called attention to them. Jews are allowed to focus on anti-semitism much like any group is allowed to focus on incidents targeting them.

Most American Jews have never lived in Israel and do not have close family in Israel. This isn't an issue that would come up for most American Jews.

Stop making this into a Jewish/anti-Semitic issue when it's essentially an Israeli issue and by extension an "Americans with close foreign ties" issue.

We have one running for president who did. Does this make him unqualified? Also keep in mind that he has another close relative literally holding elected office in another country.

[MalaspinaGold]

Not speaking for Rubio Republican, but I'm sure he'd agree with me: I would most definitely care if this happened to anyone of any other nationality or ethnicity as well.

Absolutely. I would think it was wrong. It seems like the height of paranoia. It does depend somewhat on the status of relations with the country, of course - an ally nation deserves less scrutiny - but in general, someone being an immigrant with family abroad should not disqualify someone from a military position.

But let's be real, incidents like this affecting Jewish people would get no airtime here unless Jewish people called attention to them. Jews are allowed to focus on anti-semitism much like any group is allowed to focus on incidents targeting them.

Most American Jews have never lived in Israel and do not have close family in Israel. This isn't an issue that would come up for most American Jews.

Stop making this into a Jewish/anti-Semitic issue when it's essentially an Israeli issue and by extension an "Americans with close foreign ties" issue.

We have one running for president who did. Does this make him unqualified? Also keep in mind that he has another close relative literally holding elected office in another country.

Given our "special relationship" with Great Britain, no, I do not consider that an issue.

Explain, and furthermore you ignored the first part of my reply.

[Taco Truck 🚚]

Yes, I think army personnel who are licensed to inject our troops with truth serum should have a military clearance.  But then again I'm not a part of Israel first cry baby caucus.

[The Dowager Mod]

Dentists can do all sorts of nefarious things. Haven't you ever watched Diamonds Are Forever?

More seriously, since it's an off base facility, the only reason I can think of for worrying about a security clearance for a dentist is that his patients might say something sensitive while under anesthesia.

Marathon man still makes me cringe.