The family and community of 14-year-old Amer Rabee are outraged and in mourning after the Palestinian American teen, who grew up in Saddle Brook, was shot and killed by Israeli troops over the weekend in the West Bank. Two other teens, who are also U.S. citizens, were shot and wounded.
The Palestinian American Community Center on Tuesday called the shooting a cold-blooded “murder,” saying Rabee was shot 11 times.
“Our stories are consistently ignored, our people are consistently dehumanized, our deaths are repeatedly ignored and we are silenced, targeted and not only decentered but we are dehumanized,” said Rania Mustafa, the executive director of the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton. “Every child, no matter their background, deserves the right to live, to safety, to freedom. Only a monster will argue with that.”
According to a statement from the IDF, the teens were shot for allegedly throwing rocks toward a highway. According to PACC, Rabee and the other young boys did not throw rocks, but were climbing trees and picking almonds. Rabee, an American citizen, is the nephew of one of the Palestinian Center’s board member, Saleh Rabee. He recently visited New Jersey in February to see his two brothers and sisters who still live in Passaic and Bergen counties.
“What was done was a murder, and a killing of a child,” said Rami Jbara, another one of Rabee’s uncle.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Jbara described him as a gifted student who was thriving in the 8th grade and who had his whole life ahead of him. Rabee’s father, Mohammed Rabee, also spoke of the tragic loss via remote feed.
“I am asking for answers from the Israeli government as to why Amer — who was just 14 years old — was killed,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement. “This tragic loss of life underscores that the current course of conflict is continuing to take too great of a toll on too many people.”
Both U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim (D-NJ) have also called for the Trump administration to investigate the matter and impart sanctions on Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinian civilians living in the West Bank.
