Prominent American author says Israel detained him for hours

JERUSALEM – A prominent American author and former CNN program host says he was detained by Israel at a border crossing on a recent visit.

Iranian-born Reza Aslan tweeted Tuesday that he was held for hours, questioned about his politics and told to write down the names of Palestinians and journalists he knew and Palestinian organizations he supported. He says the woman who interrogated him threatened to separate him from his family.

Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It’s the second time this week that Israel has been accused of detaining a prominent American critic of its policies. On Sunday, Jewish-American commentator Peter Beinart was detained by airport authorities and interrogated about his political views before being allowed to enter the country.