The son of a West Bank Hamas leader who spied for Israel and wrote a book about his experiences has returned to Israel.

Mosab Hassan Yousef arrived June 13 and was held up at the airport for several hours before being allowed to enter the country, according to reports.

Yousef, the son of Hamas founder Sheik Hassan Yousef, was invited to speak in Israel by Likud Party lawmaker Ayoob Kara, a Druze Arab.

Yousef, who lives in California and converted to Christianity, was given political asylum by the United States after the 2010 publication of an autobiography about his decadelong experience as an undercover agent for the Shin Bet, Israel’s security agency. Israel has neither officially confirmed nor denied his story.

He is scheduled to remain in Israel for nearly a month lecturing at universities and other venues. — jta