Israeli Denied Entry to San Francisco Hackathon Over Military Service

Israeli software engineer Adam Levy, a graduate of the elite Unit 8200 intelligence corps, was denied participation in a San Francisco hackathon due to his military background. The event organizer, Mustafa Benhenda, founder of startup PiT-Inference, cited security concerns, linking Levy's service to the 1998 Israeli operation that remotely detonated Hezbollah pagers and radios in Lebanon. Benhenda stated that the hackathon, themed 'Build Your Agentic Investment Bank,' could not approve Levy's participation because electronic devices carried by attendees might be triggered, causing harm. He added that many Lebanese and Palestinian citizens were participating and their safety was paramount.

Levy shared the exchange on X, where it garnered millions of views. The hackathon was scheduled for October 6th, the day before the anniversary of the October 7th attacks, at the Frontier Tower as part of Tech Week. Following the controversy, Tech Week removed the event from its official schedule, citing a violation of terms of service, though registration remained open. Benhenda later publicly invited Levy to a future hackathon in Tel Aviv, which Levy questioned as a threat, tagging the IDF and Mossad.

Benhenda further claimed that individuals involved in electronically 'trapping' devices posed a risk and questioned the loyalty of others, including asking venture capitalist Shon Magnayr to remove the US flag from his profile picture due to perceived allegiance to Israel. An organization called TRACE Initiative alleged Benhenda leads an anti-Israel Telegram group encouraging travel to Israel and infiltration of Israeli tech companies. Conservative activist Will Chamberlain tagged the US Deputy Secretary of State regarding Benhenda's visa status.

Levy reported receiving hateful and antisemitic messages but also significant support from venture capital firms and industry leaders, including a16z, which withdrew its sponsorship. He expressed pride in his work at Unit 8200, developing AI to protect Israeli citizens, and noted the rising antisemitism faced by Jews and Israelis in the US, even within the tech community. Levy stated his intention to continue his work in AI, emphasizing the importance of exposing the realities faced by Israelis.