Queens, NY – An Orthodox Jewish dentist who had been practicing part time at an upstate New York naval clinic as an act of charitable patriotism has been told that he can no longer treat patients after his security clearance was denied because he has relatives living in Israel.
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Far Rockaway resident Dr. Gershon Pincus had been practicing dentistry in Flatbush on Ocean Parkway between Avenues M and N for 35 years when he decided to use his skills treating patients in the military.
“I can think of no better way to experience the sunset of my career than by using my professional skills as a dentist to assist those who have chosen to serve in the United States military,” said Dr. Pincus in an affidavit.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Dr. Pincus found a part time job at an off base naval clinic in Saratoga Springs, New York, a 400 mile round trip that he made weekly. While the position offered less compensation than Dr. Pincus’ regular work it provided the father of four with an opportunity to do something for his country.
In a routine security interview that is mandatory for all civilian employees, the Brooklyn born dentist stated that he had several family members who lived in Israel, including a brother, a sister and an elderly mother who suffers from dementia and two siblings. Dr. Pincus’ son Avi, now deceased, had served briefly in the Israeli army and over the last ten years, Dr. Pincus had visited Israel on three separate occasions, one of which was his father’s funeral. The results of the October 2014 interview proclaimed that there was no reason to suspect that Dr. Pincus would be vulnerable to “blackmail, extortion, coercion or duress,” but five months later he was summoned for a second interview that focused almost exclusively on his Israeli connections.
Dr. Pincus’ security clearance was denied in September by the Office of Personal Management who gave a list of reasons that questioned his allegiance to the United States.
“You have weekly telephone contact with your mother and brother in Israel. You added your mother, sister and brother may have contact with neighbors in Israel. Foreign contacts and interests may be a security concern due to divided loyalties or foreign financial interests, may be manipulated or induced to help a foreign person, group, organization or government in a way that is not in U.S. interests, or is vulnerable to pressure or coercion by foreign interests.”
A Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals database of individuals who were denied security clearances lists another case of someone refused a federal security clearance in 2014 solely because their sister in law is a member of the Israeli military.
The percentage of citizens denied clearances because of possible ties to Israel seems higher than average, with 62 percent of cases brought during the Obama presidency denied on appeal. In the same time period, just one individual with ties to France lost on appeal and every case that involved a connection to England was successfully appealed.
A statement released Thursday by the Orthodox Union blasted the Office of Personnel Management, which by its own admission said that they were aware that Dr. Pincus did not intend to move to Israel or to seek Israeli citizenship.
“The notion that an American Jew, a citizen of the United States, could be accused of having ‘divided loyalties’ and therefore be denied security clearance and lose his job, simply because he has family members who live in Israel, is outrageous and offensive,” said Orthodox Union president Martin Nachimson.
Nachimson characterized the denial as thinly veiled anti-Semitism.
“This discrimination cannot and should not be tolerated against Jews any more than it should be with regard to any other minority group,” said Nachimson.
Allen Fagin, executive director of the Orthodox Union called on both the navy and the president to rectify the wrongs that have been brought to light through the Pincus case.
“We call on Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to review Dr. Pincus’ case and the Obama Administration to investigate and address any prejudice that appears to exist within the OPM bureaucracy and its security clearance process,” said Fagin.
Can we get some numbers how many Arabs had the same issue like him???? I am sure they are more loyal than the Jews.
About 30 years ago, I heard a rumor that went something like this: The USSR, Red China, and their ilk are “criteria countries”, meaning they have a heightened enemy status, and the strictest level of fraternization restrictions with their nationals. The list of these countries was publicly available. In addition to that list, however, the rumor claimed that there was a second list that was not made public, but that added to the list. The second list had two countries: Apartheid South Africa, and Israel.
But bring in 100,000 Syrian refugees that’s not a security concern
Simply put outrageous!!
Secondly,ISRAEL should adopt this policy to anyone who has relatives in a country where terrorists are being bred!! Get all arabs in govt interviewed at once!! Its israels fault for not speaking ,lashing out!! An offense to our country!!
Do the Jew haters who have relatives in IRELAND, ITALY, ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, ETC… who are making these decisions have a problem with other candidates from those countries?
It’s just his own bad luck that he was born a Jew; had he been born a Muslim, he would have been received clearance immediately even if he had relatives in ISIS.
“With 62 percent of cases brought during the OBAMA presidency denied on appeal. In the same time period, just one individual with ties to France lost on appeal and every case that involved a connection to England was successfully appealed”
How much longer until he is out of office???
Where is all the uproar?
When Trump says he wants to suspend letting Muslims into this country because of security concerns the liberal media goes ballistic.
Here you have a noble American citizen trying to do a good deed yet he gets denied because he has relatives in Israel?? Something is very wrong.
And of course not a word from the mainstream media.
Joe Field when could we expect to see this published in the AP or Reuters?
This is due in part the damage done by Pollard. All Jews are now suspected of dual loyalty, especially in regard to military matters. While I’m not convinced that there is much in the way of classified material to be gleaned from holding a government-owned dental drill, it gives closeted Jew-haters the cover to act on their basest instincts. To all VIN readers who continue to believe that a compensated, traitorous young man was correct in all that he did, consider this matter and the other ramifications that are sure to surface in the months to come!
When did they start telling you why you failed the background check? Is this something new?
Perhaps those who made it seem like Jonathan Pollard was a hero to every Jew fortunate enough to be born in America should have thought things thru a little better.
I guess being a Shiite Muslim from Kenya is not a national security issue to become “commander in chief”.
What is really outrageous here is that the security clearance he would need should be pretty low. He is not getting access to sensitive materials (as Pollard did), he is just acting as a dentist. What kind of information would he get anyway — how many cavities the sailors have?
Back in 1978 I had to wait a year until my Secret security clearance came through, because I had relatives I had never met still living in Russia, but it did finally come through. This is for a dentist. This is ridiculous. What information does he need access to that he even needs a clearance, other than the general clearance for working there?
Ridiculous of course,It’s their loss
Hmmm. And the Muslim doctor Major “I slaughtered soldiers at Fort Hood” Hassan was, presumably, found safe to practice psychiatry on an army base.
Thinly veiled antisemitism? No, it is clear as glass.
Doctor, give it up. Move to Israel and help your own people. Surely now you see the writing on the wall (circa 1933 when Jews practicing their professions were limited in whom they could treat.) The USA does not deserve you & furthermore, does not want you.
With the American security experts banning this man, it is obvious that they could use some extra training in spotting a terrorist/enemy….
But then after seeing how TSA picks selected candidates based on low IQ’s the security departments in the government are probably just as dumb.
The peleh is how omamzer has security clearance!!!
Ask almost any Jew who works for the Federal government or who has tried to get a security clearance what the Pollard case did to their career…
Obama strikes again. He should’ve been impeached long ago…who knows how much more damage he will inflict on our country before he finally gets the heck out!