Three days after his death, on July 5, the United States slammed Israel's arrest of a 15-year-old cousin, Tarek Abu Khdeir, 15, a US citizen. Tarek was arrested as he took part in violent riots, and police said they found a slingshot on him, and that he attacked police and resisted arrest, while others were hurling rocks and molotov cocktails at them.
He was allegedly beaten in detention and has since been freed and returned to Florida.
Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
On July 28, another cousin of Abu Khdeir, also American, was arrested in Israel as well, the State Department said Wednesday.
Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf identified him as "Mohammed Abu Khdeir," which would mean his name is the same as his murdered cousin's.
"We can confirm that Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a US citizen, was arrested on July 28. The US consulate general in Jerusalem is providing consular assistance. A consular official visited him on August 14th. The consulate is also in contact with Mr. Khdeir's family and his lawyer," Harf said.
Yet "we are concerned that the US consulate general in Jerusalem was not notified of his arrest by the government of Israel.
And "we are also concerned about the fact that members of the Khdeir family appeared to be singled out for arrest by the Israeli authorities," Harf added.
It is not yet known under what circumstances Abu Khdeir was arrested.And you thought that allies talk things like this out behind closed doors rather than in State Department press briefings.
Funny - I don't recall the US State Department ever saying anything in its briefings about the murders of Mark Parsons, John Branchizio and John Linde, who were actually employed as contractors by the US government when they were murdered. No one has ever been charged with those murders. Maybe because there were no Jews connected to that case?
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