June 28, 1962 - Dr. Robert A. Soblen (pictured left following his arrest in November 1960), who was due to surrender in New York today to begin serving a life sentence for spying for the Soviet Union, was arrested by the Israeli police this morning in a hotel in Tel Aviv. The 61-year-old Lithuanian-born psychiatrist arrived in Israel aboard an Air France plane late Tuesday night with the Canadian passport of his deceased brother. In Washington, the State Department began discussions with Israeli representatives to bring about the return of Dr. Soblen. Israeli officials have indicated that there was no chance of Dr. Soblen’s being allowed to remain in Israel. He cannot be extradited to the U.S. in the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries. An extradition treaty has been negotiated between the U.S. and Israel, but it has not been ratified. It is believed Dr. Soblen will be deported on a plane that will take him to a country that has such an extradition treaty with the U.S., perhaps Great Britain.
