A US Teenager Has Been Locked in an Israeli Prison, With No Trial, for 6 Months. Where’s the Outrage?
The family of 16-year-old Muhammad Zaher Ibrahim, who was taken by Israeli soldiers in the middle of the night, says they feel abandoned by the Trump administration.
An American teenager has been in Israeli detention for six months, with no trial, no direct contact with his family, and little support from the US government.
Muhammad Zaher Ibrahim was detained in February when he was 15 years old. Israeli soldiers came to his family’s home in the West Bank village of Silwad in the middle of the night, banged on their door, and demanded to see Muhammad. They blindfolded, handcuffed, and took the boy from his family, on accusations that he threw rocks.
“To come take a US citizen from his house at 3:30 in the morning – it don’t matter what they accuse him of, … you still don’t come to a house banging on the door and kidnapping a kid at 3:30 in the morning,” Muhammad’s father, Zaher, told Zeteo. “Imagine people just walking in your house and grabbing your kid, and six months passes, and no phone call, you didn’t even see him one visitation, face-to-face, so you know how he is, how he’s feeling.”
Three other boys were arrested on similar accusations.
Muhammad’s lawyer, Widad Dahood, said that he was formally charged after he confessed to throwing a stone, though she noted that this “so-called confession was obtained without access to legal counsel and under extremely strenuous conditions imposed by the Israeli military authorities.”
The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.
Since his arrest, the family of Muhammad, who is the cousin of Sayfollah Musallet, the American allegedly killed by Israeli settlers last month, has had hardly any updates about his detention. While in prison, he turned 16. His family says they’ve been told that he’s lost 25 pounds and suffered from scabies – a skin condition that’s prevalent among Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons. Human rights groups blame the outbreak on overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and lack of medical attention.
The only message Muhammad’s family has received from him came in early August via the US embassy. It read:
"Congratulate my sister on passing all her exams and send her my regards. Ask my father to buy my sister a gold necklace and tell him once I’m released, I will work hard to pay him back. Send my regards to my grandparents, uncles, friends, and most importantly my parents. Tell them not to worry about me, that I’m good and I will be home eventually."
‘Close Their Eyes’
Muhammad’s family has been in limited contact with the US embassy, which has updated them on his whereabouts and told them they would continue advocating “for his well-being.” Beyond that, the family has heard nothing of substance from the US on the abduction of their American son.
Muhammad’s family told Zeteo that they have reached out to the Trump-Vance White House and the State Department, and haven’t heard back. They've had limited contact with the offices of Reps. Mike Haridopolos (R) and Rep. Kathy Castor (D).
Zaher has been frustrated by the lack of response from US officials.
“He’s a US citizen, and he doesn’t deserve to be in jail at all. We know if it was any other country but Israel, they would get him out within the same day. When it comes to Israel, it’s like, they close their eyes and they act like they don’t see nothing,” Zaher said. But “when you live here, you see everything.” (Watch the video below to hear more from Zaher.)