Mosab Hassan Yousef can remain in the United States after an immigration judge ruled in his favor on June 30, 2010, calming fears that Yousef might be deported back to the West Bank. Yousef was in danger of execution by the Palestinian Authority after his request for political asylum in the US was initially denied.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, known for his 2010 book "Son of Hamas", is the son of sheikh Hassan Yousef, one of the founders of Hamas who helped lead the First Intifada in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Mosab Hassan Yousef was arrested during that intifada at 10-years-old for throwing rocks at Israeli settlers, and he grew up as an important part of the Hamas organization, expected to follow in the footsteps of his father. In 1996, Yousef was jailed by agents for the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), and during his imprisonment came to the conclusion that he was fighting for the wrong side. The brutality of the Hamas faithful in torturing their fellow Palestinian prisoners and the organization's willingness to sacrifice women and children spurred him to agree to become an informant for Shin Bet.
For ten years, Yousef partnered up with Gonen Ben-Itzhak, his Israeli Shin Bet handler, and worked to protect the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians by informing Shin Bet about Hamas terrorist plots. Yousef's reports led to the arrests of several high-ranking Palestinians. Gonen Ben-Itzhak said of Yousef, "As we worked together to prevent the deaths of hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians, the two of us became friends. We believe that friendships like ours are key to eliminating hate and promoting the liberty that both our peoples so desperately desire."
Yousef became a Christian in 2005 and two years later moved to California. In the fall of 2009, Homeland Security denied his request for political asylum. He was told he would be deported because of his background with a terrorist group, even though the work he did as an informant helped stop many terrorist plots, including suicide bombings.
Yousef and his advocates warned that he would be executed if he were sent back to the Palestinian territories. Deeply concerned, Ben Itzhak revealed his own identity to testify on Yousef's behalf. At an Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET) dinner before the hearing, Ben-Itzhak spoke up for his friend Yousef. "He risked his life every day in order to prevent" violence, Ben-Itzhak declared. "I need to come to the courthouse in San Diego and tell the judge the truth … And the truth is Mosab always prevented killings."
Ben-Itzhak signed an affidavit, describing Yousef's character. That testimony made a big impact. Three letters that Sarah Stern, president of EMET, managed to procure and get entered as evidence in the case also "made all the difference," according to Yousef’s lawyer, Steven Seick. In one letter, the chairman of Israel’s Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee thanked Yousef for acting with “resolute determination … personal courage, reliability and dedication” to save lives. In a second letter, US Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), along with 21 others from the House of Representatives, sent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano a letter impressing on her the significance that Yousef had cooperated "with Shin Bet at significant risk to his own safety and life." In the third letter, former CIA director James Woolsey urged the US to stop the deportation proceedings, which would "set us back years in the war on terrorism" by discouraging other potential informants from cooperating.
Homeland Security decided to drop the charges, and on June 30th, Judge Rico J. Bartolomei ruled that Yousef could remain in the US pending a background investigation. Yousef called Sarah Stern immediately after the ruling and said, "Sarah, we won!"
Related Links:
• With a Major Assist From Jewish Group, Son of Hamas Staying in US - JTA