Assalamu alaikum - US lawmakers press to free Palestinian American teen held in Israel
Assalamu alaikum. A group of 27 US Congress members are calling on the US government to work for the release of Mohammed Ibrahim, a 16-year-old Palestinian American who has been held in Israeli detention for over eight months.
In a letter to the Secretary of State and the US ambassador to Israel, the lawmakers - including Senators Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen - urged officials to prioritize Mohammed’s safety and press Israel for his swift release. They said the Department of State’s top duty is protecting US citizens abroad and asked that the government act to bring this boy home.
Mohammed’s case has highlighted the difficult conditions many Palestinians face in Israeli detention with limited legal protections. Family members and former detainees told US embassy staff that Mohammed has lost a lot of weight, his health has worsened, and there are signs he was mistreated, while his court dates keep being delayed.
Advocates and analysts say this situation shows a pattern in which Palestinian Americans do not always receive the same rapid support from the US government as others. Yousef Munayyer of the Arab Center Washington DC said the government often appears indifferent when Palestinian US citizens are harmed or detained.
While Mohammed has been jailed, his 20-year-old cousin, Sayfollah Musallet, was reportedly beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. US officials called for an investigation, but no arrests have been reported, and attacks by settlers on Palestinian communities frequently go unpunished. Musallet’s family has asked the US to conduct its own independent inquiry.
Rights groups say Mohammed told them he was beaten with rifle butts during transport and held in a cold cell with poor food. He was 15 at the time of his arrest and is accused by Israeli authorities of throwing stones at settlers - an allegation he denies. According to the lawmakers’ letter, no public evidence has been provided to support the charge.
Investigations into the treatment of Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank report that many were physically harmed after arrest and often were not told why they were being detained. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) urged the US government to put American citizens first and secure Mohammed’s immediate release, saying he should be home in Florida with his family, not in military detention.
May Allah protect the innocent and grant justice. Please keep Mohammed and his family in your duas.
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