A United States Embassy spokesman said here today that Americans could no longer lose their citizenship if they become citizens of Israel or serve in Israel’s armed forces. He said that the “new interpretation” of U.S. regulations governing dual citizenship announced early this year by Attorney General John Mitchell applies to Americans in all foreign countries.
According to the Embassy official, an American could lose his U.S. citizenship only if he renounced it, injured American interests or fought against the U.S. He observed that the latter situation was not likely to arise in Israel. Another basis for revoking American citizenship would be active participation in the politics of a foreign country not simply by voting but by running for public office, he said.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.