The case of an Army engineer accused over ten years ago of spying for Israel was the focus of a recent government watchdog group report and is once again being pressed by Agudath Israel of America.
The Army engineer, David Tenenbaum, he was given a polygraph test in 1997 during which he says anti-Jewish epithets were shouted at him. The next day, he says, he found his computer gone and his name erased from the e-mail system at TACOM (the Tank Automotive and Armaments Command), the military facility in Warren, Michigan where he worked.
He claims he was urged to confess to the crime of espionage but did not do so and was not arrested. Two days later, he says, on the Jewish Sabbath, investigators ransacked his home.
The U.S. Attorney, however, declined to prosecute the case, stating insufficient evidence to do so.
Mr. Tenenbaum has maintained throughout that he is innocent of the charge and that he may have been targeted because of his religion. Indeed, TACOM’s director of research
expressly stated that the investigation had been prompted by Mr. Tenenbaum’s speaking of Hebrew and wearing of a yarmulke. He further stated that “none of this would have happened” had Tenenbaum not been Jewish.
At the beginning of 2000, Agudath Israel raised the issue with then-CIA Director George Tenet and, later that year, then-U. S. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen. The national
Orthodox Jewish group expressed concerns about the allegations of anti-Jewish bias in the Defense Department and pressed for clarification of the government’s position on Jewish employees in general and on the case of Mr. Tenenbaum specifically.
Last month, an independent watchdog organization, the Project on Government Oversight, published new government documents relating to the Pentagon Inspector General’s investigation of the handling of the Tenenbaum case.
On June 27, the Inspector General, General Claude M. Kicklighter, received a letter from Agudath Israel of America’s executive vice president for government and public affairs, Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel. In the missive, Rabbi Zwiebel, the Agudath Israel representative who petitioned Mr. Tenet and Mr. Cohen in 2000, cited the “strong evidence that Mr. Tenenbaum may have in fact been the victim of religious discrimination.”
He also noted a recent report in The New York Sun about the Project on Government Oversight’s disclosure of the Defense Department’s preliminary finding that “Mr. Tenenbaum experienced religious discrimination when his Judaism was weighed as a significant factor in the decision to submit him for an increase in his security clearance.”
Rabbi Zwiebel further asserted that “if it is true that Mr. Tenenbaum was singled out for special scrutiny and adverse action because of his Orthodox Jewish identity and practice, the message that sends to all Orthodox Jews in this country is nothing short of devastating.
“It tells us that, despite the fact that we may be model citizens in every sense of the term, we are somehow considered second-class Americans, not to be trusted within the Department of Defense.”
The Agudath Israel leader implored the Defense Department Inspector General to recognize the “critical fork in the road” for the government agency. “Either you can acknowledge that Mr. Tenenbaum was a victim of….religious bias….and thereby send a powerful message that this culture of anti-Jewish stereotyping will not be tolerated within the Department of Defense; or you can circle the wagons, pretend that such bias does not exist, and tell Mr. Tenenbaum that he was treated fairly by the Department.”
“Much is at stake in this choice,” Rabbi Zwiebel wrote in conclusion. “Respectfully, but urgently, we implore you to seize the opportunity to do the right thing.”
(YWN Desk)
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11 Responses
It is unfortunate that such discrimination exists in the defense and intelligence communities. Mistrust that exists in no small part due to the Pollard fiasco.
This reminds me of the Dreyfus Affair in France 113 years ago. Here is an example where anti-Jewish bigotry is active in our beloved USA.We love this country and are proud to celebrate 4th of July.May Hashem protect the USA and the world and the Torah!Religious freedom must be defended and protected.
just that the #3 person in the pentagon during Bush’s first term is an Orthodox Jew who even has private smicha (so had a non practicing rabbi as the #3 person in the Pentagon).
Why would the US Government trust any Yidin? There have been so many American Jews passing information to Israel, the question of loyalty is always a concern.
Israel always comes first for the Yirai Shemayim, so what should the State Dept do? They have to act in their own interest, just like all of the ohavei torah.
gouueatr – I dont know if a yid would be able to give info to israel, as long as israel is not in danger of being attacked by america – it’s no mitzvah, for sure..and whats this business about a yireh shomayim’s first priority being the medina? thats only some yireh shomayims..other yireh shomayims, would say the opposite, based on the fact that it is (at least, without going into issurim and controversial topics) not a mitzvah to support the medina with such information.
furthermore, it’s this attitude that makes the govt not trust yidden – the addiction to zionism and the medina have poisoned us so that we cant see straight, that this may cause jewish lives to be lost, and that any yid who does this is risking his life for a medina that is only jewish by name.
the govt should be able to trust us – if this isn’t hisgarus be’umos(it is even to do treason between warring goyim, but kal vechomer to give secrets from goyim to yidden), then I dont know what is.
And all this while there is a monthly story on the ICE.GOV webpage of a Moslem triyng to give information to our enemies, planning an attack on American soil, spying on American objectives., but you never see it in the goyish papers. Average one a month and you never see it in the goyish paper. If thats not anti semitism then I don’t know what is.
As londg as we live among the Goyim , let us be quiet and not noticed.I do not pertain to be a Talmid Chochom; but where in Shas are there stories of the Yidden making public protests to the Romans or the Babylonians. Or demanding their “rights”?
Are there Rishonim or Achronim who speak of the concept of “protesting” to the authorities for their just rights?
I request that any of the readers here who know Shas to please bring us all a reference and proof from the Tanoim/Amoroim that we should publicly protest while we are in Golus.
Charlie,
You should wear an Obama armband on your sleeve. Once again you make false allegations against your political opponents (Republicans) in your silly attempts to promote your Democrat party.
Get used to the fact that whether you admit it or not Orthodox Jews by and large vote Republican.
To number 8 – “Golus”. Look at the Gemara that speaks about Rabbi Akiva being led to jail for teaching Torah B’Rabim eventhough there was a decree to disband Torah study by the Romans. this would demonstrate quite clearly that he was “publicly protesting”. As the Brisker Rav said “As is toot Veiy, Shrait men!” -When it hurts, you cry out! Of course we should always opt for behind the scenes Shtadlanus through org. such as Agudah, however when the gov’t is obstinate, we can peacefully demonstrate our concerns.
To Post # 8 (“Golus”): In what way did the Agudah’s letter strike you as a “public protest”. I am under the im pression that the Gedolim in fact generally frown on public protest. But doing hishtadlus to try and convince the government to be more favorable towards the Jews is a very ancient Jewish tradition. For a very informative example read “Rabbi Yoselman of Rosheim” by Rabbi Dr. Marcus Lehman.
#8
QUOTE “but where in Shas are there stories of the Yidden making public protests to the Romans or the Babylonians. Or demanding their “rights”” QUOTE
nowhere
there was no such concept as public protest, unless you enjoyed being beheaded, or drawn and quartered, or crucified, or burned alive.
the US is a very different kind of medina (right now at least).
a Talmid Chochum applies PRINCIPLES from Shas, not merely duplicating occurences.