‘Unclear why he’s here’: Questions mount over how Tel Aviv stabber was let into Israel

Reports say officials found Abdelaziz Kaddi had no lodging plans, little money and no obvious reason for wanting to visit, but okayed him anyway; days later he knifed four people

The US green card found on the body of Abdelaziz Kaddi, a Moroccan terrorist who stabbed four people in Tel Aviv on January 21, 2025. (X; used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)
The US green card found on the body of Abdelaziz Kaddi, a Moroccan terrorist who stabbed four people in Tel Aviv on January 21, 2025. (X; used in accordance with clause 27a of the copyright law)

A Moroccan-born US green card holder who stabbed several people in a Tel Aviv terror attack this week was granted a tourist visa despite raising a number of red flags that could have prevented his entry, according to Hebrew media reports.

Abdelaziz Kaddi arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport on Saturday evening, and was granted entry by border authorities after being questioned by the Shin Bet. On Tuesday evening, he stabbed four people in Tel Aviv, two of whom were hospitalized in moderate condition. He was shot and killed during the attack.

At the airport following a flight from New York, officials noted that it was unclear why Kaddi wanted to enter the country, according to a picture of a file in an internal reporting system shown by Channel 13 news on Wednesday.

“The individual is coming for the first time for four days of touring in Tel Aviv, has no family or friends in Israel[,] arrived alone, has no connection to Israel,” a note in the system read. “The passenger’s aims for entering are unclear. No other passport, there is a Green Card.”

According to reports in several outlets, authorities also found that Kaddi had no plans of where to stay, and little money. A police officer who saw him at the airport reported that he exhibited “tense” body language.

Questions have also been raised about Facebook posts shared by Kaddi since October 7, 2023, in support of Gaza. The Kan public broadcaster reported that the online posts were not brought up during questioning at the airport.

People at the scene of a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, January 21, 2025. (Itai Ron/Flash90)

A Times of Israel scan of Kaddi’s since-blocked Facebook profile found posts critical of Israel, but none showing blatant support for the Hamas terror group or expressing a desire to hurt Israelis.

According to the Kan public broadcaster, Kaddi was approved for entry about 90 minutes after landing.

Following the stabbing, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel claimed that immigration officials had identified Kaddi as a threat when he arrived at Ben Gurion Airport and sought to bar him from entry, blaming the Shin Bet for letting him through.

Abdelaziz Kaddi (facing the camera) buys pizza at Pizza and Tortilla in Tel Aviv, shortly before carrying out a terror attack on January 21, 2025 (Screen grab used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The Shin Bet, which has launched a probe into its role in Kaddi reaching Tel Aviv, said Tuesday that it had not “established grounds to prevent his entry into Israel for security reasons.”

Several outlets carried comments from a security official claiming that the Shin Bet did not overturn a decision by a border control agent, noting that while the agency can bar people from entering Israel on security grounds, the decision to allow a traveler in ultimately lies with immigration officials, who are not required to seek Shin Bet input before issuing a refusal.

According to details on his Facebook page, Kaddi arrived in New York from Casablanca in 2022 after winning a lottery for a US green card. He lived in Brooklyn and worked as a driver for a ride-sharing service.

Illustrative. A traveler enters Israel through a new passport control terminal in Ben Gurion International Airport in central Israel on May 20, 2015. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

The Moroccan national also underwent questioning at the Israeli consulate in New York several weeks before flying and was granted a weeklong tourist visa, according to reports.

Sources with knowledge of the consulate’s workings said that it does not screen travelers for security issues but rather to ensure they are not attempting to migrate for economic reasons.

Officials there found Kaddi had a job and money, and did not suspect him of leaving the US and attempting to settle in Israel illegally in order to find better-paying work.

The Foreign Ministry declined to comment.

The US State Department said Wednesday it was aware of the reports that Kaddi had held a US green card.

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