Israeli Officer Gets Slap on Wrist in Beating of Palestinian-American Teen
Image by courtesy of khdeir family
An Israeli policeman was spared jail and sentenced to community service on Wednesday for beating an American teenager of Palestinian descent during disturbances in Jerusalem last year, an incident that had prompted U.S. concern.
Tariq Khdeir was visiting from Tampa, Florida, as protests erupted over the abduction and killing on July 2, 2014, of his 16-year-old cousin, Mohammed Abu Khudeir, allegedly by three Israeli Jews.
Amateur video showed two Israeli riot policemen setting upon Tariq Khdeir, who was 15 at the time. One held him down while the other punched and kicked him. He was left with a heavy black eye and swollen lip.
Police said Khdeir was among six protesters caught taking part in clashes, while he said he was only a bystander.
Israel pressed charges against one of the policemen, who was convicted of assault and battery in Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court.
The court on Wednesday sentenced the policeman, whose name was not released, to 45 days’ community service and a suspended term of four months in prison, a spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry’s police internal affairs department told Reuters.
“We requested that he be jailed for seven months,” she said, adding that she was unable to elaborate on the sentencing. A court spokesman declined comment, saying the case was sealed.
At the time of Khdeir’s beating, the U.S. State Department said it was “profoundly troubled” by reports on the incident and strongly condemned any excessive use of force.
On Wednesday, a U.S. official sounded more circumspect.
“We are in regular communication with the government of Israel regarding its obligation to provide protection and security for U.S. citizens,” said the official, who declined to be named.
“This case has now been reviewed through the Israeli judicial system and the Israeli court has issued a ruling. We would refer you to the government of Israel for further information.”
Israel has charged the three Jews with the murder of Khdeir’s cousin, saying they were seeking to avenge the abduction and killing in June 2014 of three Israeli youths by Hamas militants.
The incidents sparked a cascade of violence culminating in war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip in July-August last year.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
