Rivlin: ISIS already present in Israel with support growing

The Islamic State is already present within the country’s Arab communities and support for the group is growing, President Rueven Rivlin said during a national security conference earlier this week.

 

“The Islamic State is already here, that is no longer a secret. I am not speaking about territories bordering the State of Israel, but within the State itself,” he said in a speech at the annual Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) held at Tel Aviv University on Monday.

 

“Research studies, arrests, testimonies, and overt and covert analyses…clearly indicate that there is increasing support for the Islamic State among Israeli Arabs, while some are actually joining ISIS,” he added.

 

According to the Population, Immigration and Borders Authority, there are currently close to a dozen Israeli citizens who are fighting with ISIS, with growing concerns about their return to the country.

 

The Interior Ministry has proposed an amendment to the citizenship law that would allow the revocation of the citizenship of Israelis who have “violated their loyalty to the country,” even if they are not located within Israel, according to a statement by PIBA.

 

Read More: Rivlin: ISIS already present in Israel with support growing – Arab-Israeli Conflict – Jerusalem Post