Amid Israel’s efforts to rescue over 200 held captive by Hamas, including Americans, Jewish groups want Western countries to issue citizenship to the hostages to help save lives.
A who’s who of leading American Jewish organizations and one of Israel’s top counterterrorism experts on Sunday appealed to the U.S., Germany and Austria to issue citizenship to the over 200 hostages held by the terrorist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The U.S.- and EU-designated terrorist organization Hamas took the hostages as part of its massacre of 1,400 people, including Americans, on Oct. 7 in southern Israel.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the New York City-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL), told Fox News Digital, « The idea of issuing emergency citizenship and passports to hostages is not just a good idea for Germany and Austria, but is one that other nations, including the United States, should explore immediately. It is a moral imperative to utilize every tool in the toolbox to get these hostages out of the hands of Hamas terrorists and to safety. »
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, « We have been clear that all hostages should be immediately and unconditionally released. We are not going to go into details about ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza, including Americans. »
The spokesperson concluded, « U.S. law does not permit the issuance of a U.S. passport to individuals who are not documented U.S. citizens or do not have a claim to U.S. citizenship. We are available to provide all appropriate consular assistance to U.S. citizen hostages. »
The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) announced it « is urging Germany and Austria to take a leadership role and grant joint citizenship to Israelis that are currently held captive by Hamas. »
Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean and director of global social action at the SWC, said, « Every effort must be made to release innocent Israelis taken captive by Hamas. While the European Union meets to discuss so-called humanitarian pause, Germany and Austria should work to strengthen their show of support for Israel and grant dual citizenship as soon as possible.
