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American Dentist with Mother in Israel Refused U.S. Security Clearance

(Wall Street Journal) Bret Stephens - When Dr. Gershon Pincus, a New York City dentist, turned 60, he decided he wanted to give something back to his country and in 2014 took a low-paying, part-time job at an off-base Naval dental clinic in Saratoga, N.Y., commuting 400 miles each week. In a routine interview to obtain a security clearance for civilian employees, he mentioned that his mother and two siblings lived in Israel. This year his security clearance was denied, meaning he would not be able to continue doing his Naval dental work. Since the Obama administration came to office, there have been 58 cases in which Israeli ties were a significant factor in denial of a security clearance. Of these, 36 applicants (62%) had their appeals for clearance denied. For comparison, there has been just one case of a French citizen losing an appeal and being denied a clearance, and zero involving British citizens. Pincus' lawyer Avi Schick notes that the process of disqualifying Dr. Pincus "was driven by headquarters personnel" at the Office of Personnel Management. His case suggests the level of scrutiny to which any applicant with the slightest Israeli connection is subjected.
2015-12-17 00:00:00
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