Palestinian American teen beaten by Israeli police

Palestinian American teen Tariq Khdeir, "I'm speechless" on beating by Israeli police

Tariq Khdeir, the Palestinian American teen from Tampa, Florida, was beaten by Israeli police while visiting family in Occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli police justified the beating by accusing Tariq of throwing stones as part of week long protests by Palestinians Occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank following the recent murder of Palestinian teen Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Tariq is Mohammed's cousin from Tampa, Florida. The police brutality and beatings which happens frequently in the United States also was captured on video showing two Israeli officers punching and kicking Tariq in the face. The beating was called by pundits and mainstream media as "alleged beating" although the video and Tariq's swollen face, lips and blacken eyes showed evidence of excessive beating. Tariq's cousin Mohammed Abu Khdeir who lives in the Shufat area of Occupied East Jerusalem, was kidnapped and burned alive a couple of days ago possibly by Israeli settlers. Six Israelis have been arrested and are currently being investigated with possible connections to Mohammed Khdeir's death. Tariq's beating has been condemned and decried by US State Department and by American Human Rights activists as well as Tariq's family in Florida and occupied Palestine as well as neighbors and the wider community. Palestinian Americans have been treated just as poorly and badly by Israeli army and officials as their family members and friends in occupied Palestine. To add insult to injury, an Israeli court placed Tariq under house arrest for five days but has canceled it after pressure from rights groups and media reports on the beating. Tariq is now on his way home to the US.

Mohammed Abu Khdeir's death follows the death of three Israeli teenage settlers' deaths in Occupied West Bank by terrorists. In response to the Israeli teens' deaths, Israeli Army under Netanyahu's watch has been bombing the blockaded and besieged Gaza Strip. The justification being that Hamas started firing rockets into Israeli towns bordering the blocked Gaza Strip. Palestinians prisoners who were initially release as part of previous negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials were rearrested during Israeli army massive sweep through the West Bank to find the three teens. The sweep also involved Israeli soldiers bursting through people's homes and yards arresting possible suspects of the kidnapping. Most of the arrested Palestinians saved for the former prisoners were innocent civilians not guilty of kidnapping the three teens. Palestinian families, cultural and religious officials both Christian and Muslims have long argued that Western mainstream media downplays the deaths of Palestinian children and extension the brutality shown to Palestinian children and teens by Israeli soldiers and police. Israelis' deaths no matter if they are children or adults are always broadcast and their lives humanize for the rest of the world to identity with while the Palestinian child/adults are blamed for their own death or somehow deserve scorn for fighting against Israeli brutality and excessive force through home demolitions, bombings or beatings.

Violence in Occupied Palestine by Israeli settlers and police. By Carlos Latuff