Trump Called On to Secure Release of 16-Year-Old US Citizen Mohammed Ibrahim From Israeli Detention
"This is an American kid, so you would think that the United States government would be doing everything possible to secure his release," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
Democratic lawmakers are ramping up demands for the Trump administration to secure the release of 16-year-old Mohammed Ibrahim, a Florida resident and US citizen, who has been detained and reportedly abused in an Israeli prison for nine months—with Sen. Chris Van Hollen leading the latest call and expressing disbelief that the US has allowed the boy to suffer in jail while it continues to provide support to the country that's detaining him.
"This is an American kid, so you would think that the United States government would be doing everything possible to secure his release," said Van Hollen (D-Md.). "United States taxpayers provide billions of dollars to the [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government and the state of Israel. You would think that we would be able to get this American kid out of prison, certainly to make sure that he doesn't get abused and beaten up in prison."
Ibrahim, a Palestinian-American, was arrested in February after Israeli authorities accused him of throwing rocks at settlers in illegal settlements in the West Bank, where he was vising family members with his parents. He was blindfolded and handcuffed in the middle of the night by authorities who took him to Megiddo prison, a facility known for "brutality and suffering." He is now reportedly at Ofer prison, where he has had no contact with family members.
Van Hollen noted that Ibrahim has said he falsely confessed to throwing rocks after being beaten by Israeli soldiers.
Ibrahim's family last week called for an independent medical expert to assess his condition after a consular official met with the boy and said he had lost weight and had "dark circles" under his eyes. The official told the family they had spoken to "multiple US and Israeli agencies" about the visit.
“This is the first time in nine months that they showed grave concern for his health, so how bad is it?” Ibrahim's uncle, Zeyad Kadur, told Al Jazeera.
Last month, Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) managed to interview Ibrahim and learned that he has been held in rooms with dozens of wother Palestinian children where there are "no heating or cooling systems" and where the detainees have faced at least one "scabies infestation."
"The meals we receive are extremely insufficient,” he told DCIP. “For breakfast, we are served just three tiny pieces of bread along with a mere spoonful of labneh. At lunch, our portion is minimal, consisting of only half a small cup of undercooked, dry rice, a single sausage, and three small pieces of bread. Dinner is not provided, and we receive no fruit whatsoever. Occasionally, we might get a small cucumber and a tiny tomato with some meals, but this is not guaranteed."
Ibrahim's cousin, Sayfollah Musallet, was killed by Israeli settlers in July, in an attack that the family and Democratic lawmakers have called on the Trump administration to investigate. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee took an unusually aggressive tone when he called Musallet's killing a "murder" and a "criminal and terrorist act" and said Netanyahu's government should open a probe into the killing, but the US has not gone further in demanding accountability.
Ibrahim had been set to appear in court on November 9, but the hearing date has been postponed to mid-December. Van Hollen led 27 Democratic lawmakers in writing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month, demanding that he push for the boy's release ahead of a visit Rubio was making to Israel.
The State Department has said it is "tracking" Ibrahim's case and working with the Israeli government on the matter.
But weeks after the Democrats sent their letter, on November 11, the Israeli Embassy wrote to a number of congressional offices, defending Ibrahim's detention and describing medical treatment he has allegedly received while in detention—but not mentioning reports that Ibrahim has lost significant weight since being detained.
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) are among the lawmakers who have joined the latest call for Ibrahim's release, with Merkley appealing directly to Rubio on Saturday.
"Secretary Rubio: Act NOW to free Mohammed Ibrahim—it's your responsibility to protect American citizens," said the senator on social media.
Last week, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) accused Israel of failing to live up to its obligations under the international Convention of the Rights of the Child by imprisoning Ibrahim—who's just one of more than 300 Palestinian children in indefinite "administrative detention" in Israeli jails.
"It's long past due that President [Donald] Trump, Secretary Rubio, Ambassador Huckabee do what we say is the number one responsibility of our embassies overseas, which is to protect American citizens," said Van Hollen.
In Ibrahim's home state of Florida, Democratic US Senate candidate Jennifer Jenkins said last week that Ibrahim's case is "a matter of basic human rights."
"He is a child from our community, and he deserves dignity, medical care, and to come home safely. This is not partisan," said Jenkins. "As a mom and an advocate for our kids, I support the urgent calls for his release and urge Secretary Rubio to use every tool to bring Mohammed home."
