Facing a US Extradition Request in Israel?
The United States-Israel Extradition Treaty (1962, amended 2005) is one of the most actively used extradition arrangements affecting Israeli nationals. US charges for financial crimes, fraud, cybercrime and narcotics regularly produce extradition requests to Israel. We defend Israeli nationals at every stage — from initial US indictment to Israeli Supreme Court.
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The US Pursues Israeli Nationals Aggressively — Know Your Rights
The US-Israel Extradition Treaty was originally signed in 1962. A 2005 Protocol significantly expanded its scope, removing several historical protections including the strict nationality exemption for Israeli citizens. The US Department of Justice now regularly requests extradition of Israeli nationals for:
- Financial crimes — wire fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud
- Cybercrime — hacking, computer fraud, dark web offences
- Narcotics trafficking — US DEA-led cases
- Money laundering — including cryptocurrency-related charges
- Tax evasion — IRS Criminal Investigation cases
- FCPA violations — US anti-corruption enforcement
Despite the 2005 amendments, Israeli courts retain full discretion to refuse extradition. Israeli nationals benefit from the Extradition Law 5714-1954 and the constitutional protections of the Israeli Basic Laws.
Does Israel extradite its own citizens to the US?
Israeli law once barred it outright. Since the 1999 amendment to the Extradition Law 5714-1954, an Israeli national or resident can be extradited — but only where the requesting state undertakes that any sentence imposed will be served in Israel. That condition changes the shape of the defence rather than removing it: the argument moves to dual criminality, the political offence exception, the specialty rule, the passage of time, and the adequacy of the request itself.
How We Handle a US Extradition Request
Within 2 hours: confirm nature of US charges, existence of Red Notice, MLAT requests and any Israeli Ministry of Justice proceedings already commenced.
Map US charges to Israeli criminal law. Wire fraud, FCPA violations, many regulatory offences and some cyber charges fail the dual criminality test under Israeli law — extradition must then be refused.
Identify applicable treaty exclusions: political offence, statute of limitations, proportionality, prior jeopardy, and the residual nationality protection available under Israeli constitutional law.
US-requested Red Notices accompany most major extradition requests. Simultaneous CCF challenge filed. Deletion of the Red Notice significantly disrupts the US extradition proceedings.
Where appropriate, negotiate with the Israeli State Attorney for Israel to prosecute the conduct domestically. This satisfies the principle of specialty and closes the US extradition route entirely.
US-Israel Extradition Specialists
Doctor of Law with Master’s degrees in law from Lviv University and Stanford University. Represents clients before the ECHR and in INTERPOL matters — extradition, data protection and freedom of movement. English, Ukrainian, Russian.
Senior Associate in INTERPOL defence, extradition and international criminal matters; Master’s in criminal law and several years of practice within a national judicial system.
Official sources
This page explains general legal procedure and is not legal advice. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case.
US Extradition Requests — Your Questions Answered
Is there an extradition treaty between Israel and the USA? +
Can the US extradite Israeli citizens from Israel? +
What US offences most commonly lead to extradition requests to Israel? +
What is dual criminality and how does it protect Israeli nationals? +
Can Israel prosecute domestically instead of extraditing to the US? +
What should I do if I receive a US grand jury subpoena or learn of a US indictment? +
Can the US freeze my assets in Israel through an MLAT request? +
US Indictment or Extradition Request Involving Israel?
US extradition requests move fast. Every day without specialist counsel reduces your options. Our team responds within 2 hours, 24/7. Israeli legal proceedings begin immediately.