The Trump administration has upheld a ban on the CEO of Israel's largest government-owned company from entering the United States due to concerns over potential espionage, Defense News reported.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) CEO Yosef Weiss was informed Thursday that his 6-year ban on entering the United States will be upheld. Weiss was first banned in 2011 due to his ties with Stewart David Nozette, a US government scientist who was arrested in 2009 as part of an FBI sting operation after offering to spy for Israel.
Nozette had accepted envelopes filled with money in 2009 on three different from occasions from FBI agents who claimed to be from the Mossad.
According to Defense News, Nozette was hired to market IAI's products to the United States and his close friendship with Weiss drew the attention of FBI Counterintelligence personnel.
Weiss told the magazine that the ban on entering the US did not affect his ability to run IAI. "I can’t say I’m able to function 100 percent with this limitation, but I’ve made accommodations to get around this ban," Weiss said.