US Detains Israeli National Linked to Anti-Israel Protest, Faces Deportation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained 35-year-old Israeli citizen Yonatan Owadia, a religious teacher and member of the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic community. Owadia faces deportation from the United States after his legal immigration status was revoked. The case, reported by The New York Times, stems from an incident on November 13, 2023, in Ramapo, Rockland County, New York. During a protest against the display of an Israeli flag at the municipal building, a group of participants tore down and damaged the flag. Owadia maintains he was present at the demonstration but did not personally remove the flag. Initially, he and another participant faced charges including hate crimes, but the case concluded in early 2024 with a guilty plea to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct and a fine.

Owadia had been residing in the U.S. since 2022 on a religious worker visa. In May 2026, immigration authorities denied his request for an extension of stay, citing, among other factors, the circumstances of the 2023 incident. He was arrested on August 28 after appearing in immigration court in Manhattan and is currently held at a federal detention center in Brooklyn.

His lawyers are seeking his release, arguing that authorities are punishing Owadia for his religious and political beliefs. "He opposes the Israeli government and the existence of the State of Israel for religious reasons, but to claim he is antisemitic is the height of absurdity," stated one of his lawyers, Eric Lee. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, however, asserted that authorities acted within the law and that an individual is not guaranteed the right to remain in the country after their status is revoked.