Due to the allegations against him in regard to the Sde Teiman riots, the United States earlier this month denied a visa application from Religious Zionist Party MK Zvi Sukkot, N12 News reported on Monday.
The rejection comes after he reportedly applied both online and by appointment at the American embassy. N12 reported that Sukkot subsequently had to cancel his trip.
According to the report, during the review process for his application, he was summoned for an interview at the US embassy, during which he admitted he had a criminal record dating back to when he was 19. Due to his involvement in the Sde Teiman riots, however, Sukkot told embassy personnel that the last time authorities had questioned him was the day before the interview, N12 reported.
At that point, the US reportedly rejected the MK's visa application, and he missed the flight the following day.
Subsequently, Sukkot, whose parents and wife are American, asked the Foreign Ministry for assistance. Nevertheless, weeks later, he has reportedly still been unable to obtain a visa.
Sukkot questioned over Sde Teiman riots
The Israel Police summoned Sukkot for questioning on November 11 for his participation in the Sde Teiman riots, after footage from the scene more than a year ago showed him breaking into the military base.
Sde Teiman is a military base in the Negev that was turned into a detention facility during the Israel-Hamas war. It held Palestinians captured in Gaza under the Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows temporary detention without a court order.
On July 29, 2024, Military Police arrested nine reservists suspected of severely abusing a Palestinian detainee at the facility. The detainee had serious internal injuries, including broken ribs and rectal tearing, according to reports.
The arrests sparked protests by far-right activists, families of soldiers, and several MKs, who claimed the soldiers were being punished for doing their job.
Demonstrators gathered at the Sde Teiman base and later at Beit Lid, where the suspects were being held. Some broke through the gates of military property; among them were lawmakers, including Sukkot, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (Otzma Yehudit) and Likud MK Nissim Vaturi.
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.