Steven Sotloff, the American journalist beheaded by ISIS militants, also held Israeli citizenship, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

One Israeli publication that published his work, Jerusalem Report magazine, said that it had refused to acknowledge any relationship with him after ISIS threatened his life two weeks ago because it might have endangered him further. An Israeli newspaper quoted a former fellow captive as saying that Sotloff kept his Judaism secret from his captors and pretended to be sick so he could fast for the Yom Kippur holiday.

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Cleared for publication: Steven Satloff was #Israel citizen RIP — Paul Hirschson (@paulhirschson) September 3, 2014

— Erin McClam with Reuters