This report examines claims by former U.S. Foreign Service officer Noah Siegel that he worked to prevent Israeli Dr. Michael Ben-Ari from receiving a U.S. visa. Specific warnings by Dr. Ben-Ari in May, 2018 accurately predicted the October 7th attacks. It is therefore important to evaluate the potential implications of the alleged suppression of a voice that seemingly foresaw the tragedy, and to call for accountability for the former U.S. official involved.
Dr. Michael Ben-Ari is a former Israeli Knesset candidate for the Otzma Yehudit party. In 2019, Noah Siegel, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer in Tel Aviv, boasted in an article of having worked to ensure that Dr. Michael Ben-Ari would not be granted a visa to enter the United States. This claim suggests that a former U.S. official actively intervened to prevent a former Knesset candidate from visiting the U.S. based on his political ideology.
On May 14, 2018, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari delivered a speech in Hebrew, a translation of which reveals specific concerns and predictions regarding Hamas’s intentions towards Israeli communities bordering Gaza. In his remarks, Dr. Ben-Ari stated:
They seek to enter the settlements, to Kfar Aza, to Nahal Oz, to Be’eri, to Alumim, to Ein HaShlosha, to Ra’im. Don’t you hear? Aren’t you listening to what Hamas is saying in the March of Return? They want your house, madam. They want to destroy your house. They truly want not just to destroy your house. They want to sit in your house. And excuse my bluntness, they want to rape you. Yes, all our women, they… That’s what they are saying. They don’t even hide it. They want our fields, our homes. They want to slaughter us. They don’t even hide it. They are saying it.”
His explicit mention of the communities that were heavily impacted by the October 7th attacks, along with his predictions of violence, including killings and sexual assault, vindicate his warning in retrospect. Dr. Ben-Ari also criticized the Israeli government’s approach to Gaza, suggesting lack of will to decisively confront Hamas, which he predicted would lead to dire consequences for the residents of the border region.
Furthermore, he asserted that Hamas’s ultimate aim was the destruction of Israel, and viewed Gaza as a forward operating base for this purpose. He concluded by warning that Israel would inevitably have to confront Hamas in Gaza at a significant cost, and delaying action would only increase that cost.
These remarks, delivered over five years before the October 7th attacks, highlight a stark warning about the potential for Hamas to infiltrate and inflict severe harm on the Israeli communities surrounding Gaza. While the specific timing and scale of the October 7th attacks were not detailed, the core elements of Dr. Ben-Ari’s predictions materialized.
The fact that a former U.S. Foreign Service officer boasted about preventing a Knesset candidate, who issued such remarkably prescient warnings, from entering the United States raises serious questions. While visa decisions are at the discretion of the issuing government, the alleged motivation based on political views, coupled with the subsequent events that validated Dr. Ben-Ari’s concerns, warrants careful consideration.
Suppressing voices, particularly those offering warnings about potential threats, can have severe consequences. If Dr. Ben-Ari’s inability to visit the U.S. was indeed a result of Noah Siegel’s actions, and if Dr. Ben-Ari’s message could have contributed to a greater awareness or preparedness for the type of attack that occurred, then the implications are significant. It is important to note that the direct impact of Dr. Ben-Ari’s potential visit on preventing the October 7th attacks is speculative. However, the accuracy of his 2018 warnings concerning the targeted communities and the barbaric tactics employed by the Hamas Islamic organization cannot be ignored.
The incident also raises questions about the role and influence of U.S. officials in shaping foreign policy and potentially hindering dialogue with individuals holding differing political viewpoints.
The claim by former U.S. Foreign Service officer Noah Siegel that he actively worked to prevent Dr. Michael Ben-Ari from receiving a visa to enter the United States, and took pleasure in doing so, particularly in light of Dr. Ben-Ari’s eerily accurate warnings about the nature of potential attacks from Gaza, demands scrutiny and accountability.
While the reasons cited for opposing the visa were Dr. Ben-Ari’s political views, the subsequent events that mirrored his predictions suggest that his voice may have held critical insights. The boast by a former U.S. official that he silenced or marginalized such a voice, regardless of political disagreements, requires a response.
Therefore, we call for:
- Noah Siegel to publicly clarify and justify his actions in 2019 regarding efforts to deny a visa to Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, especially in the context of Dr. Ben-Ari’s warnings about the Gaza border region.
- Relevant U.S. authorities to review actions by officials in influencing visa decisions, and to ensure that such actions align with principles of open dialogue and do not inadvertently suppress potentially critical warnings.
- A broader discussion within the U.S. foreign policy community about the ethical considerations of using influence to restrict the travel of foreign individuals based on their political views, particularly when those individuals have demonstrated an understanding of emerging security threats.
Holding individuals accountable for actions that may have contributed to the suppression of potentially vital warnings is crucial for ensuring that lessons are learned and that future security threats are not underestimated or ignored due to political biases.
The case of Dr. Michael Ben-Ari and Noah Siegel highlights a further deterioration in political maneuvering and potential intelligence oversight. Dr. Ben-Ari’s 2018 remarks contained specific warnings that accurately aligned with the October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel. The claim by a former U.S. Foreign Service officer that he actively worked to prevent Dr. Ben-Ari from visiting the United States based on his political views warrants serious attention. A thorough examination of these events and a demand for accountability for the actions of the former U.S. official are necessary to ensure transparency, learn from potential failures, and uphold the importance of considering all credible warnings in matters of national security.
Translation of Dr. Michael Ben-Ari’s Remarks (May 14, 2018):
The clip you are about to watch now contains things I said five-and-a-half years ago, on May 14, 2018:
“So, did a side charge explode on us? What are they asking for now? They seek to enter the settlements, to Kfar Aza, to Nahal Oz, to Be’eri, to Alumim, to Ein HaShlosha, to Ra’im. Don’t you hear? Aren’t you listening to what Hamas is saying in the March of Return? They want your house, madam. They want to destroy your house. They truly want not just to destroy your house. They want to sit in your house. And excuse my bluntness, they want to rape you. Yes, all our women, they… That’s what they are saying. They don’t even hide it. They want our fields, our homes. They want to slaughter us. They don’t even hide it. They are saying it.
“The government of Israel does not want and does not intend to win in Gaza. The government of Israel intends to abandon the residents of Sderot, the residents of Kfar Aza, the residents of Nahal Oz, the residents of Be’eri, the residents of Alumim, the residents of Ra’im, and the residents of Kissufim. It intends to abandon their lives and later the residents of Netivot. Because the mortars and all that, you know, they slowly creep in because we get used to it. We get used to it because the alternative is a truly heavy price, but there will be no choice. You know that in the end we will have to pay the price because of the existence of Gaza.
“Its one meaning, its one goal, its purpose is the elimination of the State of Israel. Isn’t that clear to you? Isn’t it clear that this is a forward operating base that wants to conquer Tel Aviv, isn’t that clear to you? Is there anyone who disagrees with what I am saying now? Isn’t Gaza a forward operating base? That’s how all our enemies see it. That’s how Hamas sees it. That’s how Hezbollah sees it. That’s how Iran sees it. That’s why they fund them. That’s why they support them. They see something in them. Even the moderate ones, Saudi Arabia, see in it something that harasses the State of Israel. ‘Here, let’s give them money,’ because they hate us.
“Therefore, there is no choice. We will have to dismantle this time bomb, even if there’s a cost. Unfortunately, there will be a cost. There will even be a painful cost, but the cost of not conquering Gaza will be much more painful, and in the end, we will have to conquer Gaza at a much, much more painful cost. Our fear of dealing with the problem of Gaza will lead to us both eating the rotten fish and getting the beatings, and in the end, we will conquer Gaza. So there is no choice. I’m telling you, listen carefully to what I am saying. In the end, it will happen. And the political cost, the military cost, and the cost in human lives will be heavy, it will be very heavy.”
