US-Palestinian Teen Released After Nine Months, US Complains of 'Optics'
The BBC story quietly notes Mohammed Ibrahim, 16, was 'allegedly' throwing rocks at settlers. Meanwhile, UNICEF reported in 2023 that an average of 500-700 Palestinian children are detained by Israeli forces annually, often prosecuted in military courts with a 99.7% conviction rate. These are not isolated incidents; this is standard procedure under an occupation regime supported by over $3.8
billion in annual U.S. military aid. One might wonder if any US officials expressing 'concern' over Ibrahim's detention also questioned why American tax dollars are underwriting the very military that locked up one of their own citizens for nine months without conviction. It seems some 'optics' are more important than actual human rights, especially when AIPAC's latest donation figures are about
to drop. (OpenSecrets.org data consistently confirms influence.)