When she came to America 20 years ago, Chicago activist Rasmieh Odeh withheld critical information from U.S. immigration officials – information that likely would have prevented her from living here and ultimately becoming a citizen. Odeh was given a life sentence, but served only 10 years in an Israeli prison, after being convicted in a 1969 terrorist bombing of a Jerusalem supermarket. The attack killed two college students.
Immigration forms asked if she had ever been arrested, convicted of a crime and served prison time. She said no in separate applications.
Prosecutors say those statements broke the law. Odeh faces a Nov. 4 trial date in Detroit for immigration fraud. Her indictment sparked an aggressive public relations campaign aimed at pressuring the government into dropping the charges. If anyone is at fault, they say, it is the state of Israel.
The Investigative Project on Terrorism has tracked that campaign for months. In a 5-part video series beginning Monday, we'll take you inside, showing the strident anti-Israel tone and the allies who have joined Odeh's fight. We also examine the evidence and hear from outraged relatives of one of her victims.