Israeli journalist arrested in Lebanon freed and deported to US

An Israeli freelance journalist who was arrested in Lebanon in recent days after entering the country with a foreign passport has been freed and deported to the United States, Israeli media reports said on Thursday.

Joshua Tartakovsky, a 42-year-old Israeli citizen born in the United States, had reportedly entered Lebanon on a British passport with a group of other journalists some time over the past two weeks.

He was arrested when he was found to also be in possession of an Israeli passport.

Israeli news portal Ynet reported on Thursday that Tartakovsky was freed following American pressure, while Israeli officials told The Times of Israel on Wednesday that they were aware of the incident and were dealing with it.

Tartakovsky does not appear to have published work in any major news publication.

It was unclear whether his entry into Lebanon was connected to Israel’s war against Hezbollah, which escalated in September after almost a year of cross-border violence.

Tartakovsky was reportedly detained in Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

His behavior there had aroused suspicion, according to the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper, and he was taken for interrogation, at which point the Israeli passport was found in his possession.

It is illegal for Israelis to enter Lebanon under both Israeli and Lebanese law.