While Palestinian-American teens are being gunned down in the West Bank, your tax dollars are funding the weapons that kill our own citizens—and Washington is silent.
At a Glance
- 14-year-old Palestinian American Omar Mohammad Rabea was killed by Israeli forces in West Bank town of Turmus Ayya
- Israeli military claims they shot a “terrorist” throwing rocks; Palestinian authorities say he was shot by an Israeli settler
- The teen’s death follows similar incidents, including 17-year-old American Tawfic Abdel Jabbar who was killed earlier
- Since Hamas-led attack on October 7, over 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank
- American officials call for “investigations” while continuing to fund Israel’s military operations
American Teen’s Death Exposes Deadly Double Standard
Another American teenager is dead in the West Bank, and our government’s response is as tepid as lukewarm coffee. Omar Mohammad Rabea, a 14-year-old Palestinian American, was gunned down by Israeli forces in Turmus Ayya. The Israeli military, predictably, justified this killing by labeling the child a “terrorist” who was endangering civilians by throwing rocks. Never mind that under any other circumstances, responding to rock-throwing with lethal force would be considered wildly disproportionate. But when it comes to Palestinian lives—even those with American passports—different rules apparently apply.
Watch coverage of the fatal shooting here.
The mayor of Turmus Ayya tells a different story, reporting that Rabea was shot along with two other teenagers by an Israeli settler at the town’s entrance. The Palestinian foreign ministry has condemned this as an “extra-judicial killing” and criticized Israel’s “continued impunity.” But these condemnations fall on deaf ears in Washington, where officials seem more concerned with maintaining political relationships than protecting American citizens abroad. It’s the same old script: express “concern,” call for an “investigation,” then continue signing the checks.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
This isn’t an isolated incident. Just months ago, 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, another Palestinian American teen from Louisiana, was killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank. His death caused grief and anger in the New Orleans Palestinian American community, who continue to demand justice and accountability. But instead of meaningful action, they’ve received empty platitudes from officials who seem determined to look the other way while American citizens are killed with weapons we fund.
“They are using our tax dollars in the U.S. to support the weapons to kill our own children,” said Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, father of the slain teen.
Let that sink in. American taxpayers are funding the bullets that kill American children. If this were happening anywhere else in the world, we’d be imposing sanctions, recalling ambassadors, and demanding immediate accountability. But when it comes to Israel, we’re apparently willing to accept the deaths of our own citizens as unfortunate collateral damage. The same administration that lectures other countries about human rights abuses can’t seem to find its voice when Israeli forces pull the trigger on American teens.
A Deteriorating Situation Ignored by Mainstream Media
Since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, over 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Settler violence has intensified dramatically, with armed Israeli settlers attacking Palestinian villages, resulting in deaths and injuries. The pattern is clear: Palestinian deaths are dismissed as necessary security measures, while the rare Israeli casualty triggers massive military responses and settler reprisals against entire communities. The media coverage reflects this imbalance, with Palestinian deaths relegated to brief mentions while Israeli victims receive detailed humanizing coverage.
“The American society does not know the true story,” said Hafeth Abdel Jabbar, pointing to the media’s failure to accurately report on what’s happening.
He’s right. Americans are kept in the dark about how their tax dollars fund a military occupation that routinely kills civilians, including American citizens. The Israel Defense Forces can claim they “identified three terrorists who hurled rocks toward the highway,” but since when is rock-throwing met with lethal force? Since when do we accept the labeling of children as “terrorists” to justify their extrajudicial killing? The double standard is glaring, and the silence from Washington is deafening. As our government continues to pump billions into Israel’s military while American citizens come home in body bags, one has to wonder: when will enough be enough?
