Omar Abdalmajeed As'ad , an 80-year-old Palestinian man, who is also a U.S. citizen, was stopped by Israeli soldiers the village of Jaljulia on January 12, 2022 and detained for hours.  The Israeli paper Haaretz stated, "Israeli soldiers stopped his car, bound him, blindfolded him and led him away to a building still under construction. Another villager said he saw Israeli soldiers walking As'ad away around 3 A.M."  The International Middle East Media Center reported, “The Mayor of Jaljulia, Fuad Motea’, said the soldiers invaded the village and abducted Omar, before constantly assaulting him in an under-construction home, before leaving him on the ground.”  He was found later around 4 a.m. dead, possibly of a heart attack.

Mr. As’ad lived most of his life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and moved to the West Bank a decade ago. That should make his death of special interest to the U.S. government.

The Israeli army is promising to “investigate”.  That is a sick joke.  Israeli investigations go on for months or years and rarely come to a conclusion.  What’s needed is an international investigation by people known for the skills, impartiality, and professionalism.  There should be punishment for those who caused the unnecessary death of this 80-year-old American, not only to the soldiers on the ground but for those in command who created the policy of constant harassment and terrorizing of Palestinians as an instrument of control.