Israelis beat Palestinian-American teen, mother says
JERUSALEM - Palestinian protests erupted in Arab villages inside Israel today, following an autopsy report that a murdered Arab teenager had been burned alive.
Further escalating the anger: new images of the victim's cousin -- a U.S. citizen -- apparently under attack by uniformed Israelis.
Video shows Israeli security forces punching and kicking a bound Palestinian. The victim lies prone on the ground. After the initial beating, soldiers carry him away, pausing for another kick to the head before lining him up for arrest.
Suha and Salah Khdeir says their 15 year-old American son, Tariq, is the one in the video.
"It's like attempted murder," she said. "That's attempted murder. If we were in America, that would be attempted murder."
They saw him in the hospital on Thursday after his arrest.
"He doesn't look like my son! He doesn't look normal!"
Tariq is the cousin of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, whose murder in a suspected revenge attack earlier this week set off rioting - the worst street violence this city has seen in years.
Israeli police claim the video is "edited and biased" and that the Palestinian seen on camera attacked policemen.
But the family denies this. They say he got caught up in the middle of the clashes.
Tariq has not yet been formally charged.
"I feel like I'm in a dream," his mother said. "I feel like I'm dreaming. I won't wake up I think until I actually see him."
Tariq is due to appear in a Jerusalem court tomorrow morning. They hope he'll be released on the spot.
"I'm going to go get him the medical attention that he needs, and I'm going to get my tickets ready, I'm going to book our flight and go home," his mother said, wiping away tears.
Home to Florida, and far away from here.