American Citizen Among those Killed in Israeli Attack on Mavi Marmara

The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemns action; calls on U.S. to hold Israel accountable.

19-year-old American citizen Furkan Dogan

(CHICAGO) - A 19-year-old American citizen is among the nine victims of Israel’s deadly raid on the Freedom Flotilla Monday, the New York Times is reporting today.

From: Furkan Dogan's Facebook page

Furkan Dogan, who was born in the U.S. and lived here for four years before moving to Turkey with his parents, was shot once in the chest and four times in the head in close range, according to the article.

The American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) condemns in harshest possible terms Israel’s attack upon innocent, unarmed civilians bringing humanitarian aid to the besieged people of Gaza. While all the deaths are repressible, AMP calls upon President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and members of Congress to hold Israel responsible for the unlawful killing of an American citizen on the high seas.

Israel contends its commandoes opened fire in self-defense. However, the words of Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, call into question Israel’s ‘official’ version of what happened. Oren, who was speaking on NPR’s Diane Rehm show Monday, seems to suggest the military operation was premeditated.

“The particular ship that did encounter the violent incident was simply too large to stop by nonviolent means. The others ships were not and that is one of the reasons they were towed safely to port,” he said.

Furkan’s death calls to mind the murder of another American citizen who was peacefully resisting Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes. An Israeli soldier ran over Rachel Corrie multiple times with a Caterpillar-produced bulldozer in March 2003. Her parents currently are suing the Israeli government in Tel Aviv. The United States government has never held Israel responsible for Rachel’s death.

And perhaps Israel’s largest assault on U.S. sovereignty came in 1967, when the Israeli military attacked the U.S.S. Liberty in international waters, killing 34 crewmen and injuring 171 others.

How many more American citizens have to die unnecessarily before the U.S. finally says Enough!?

AMP demands justice for Furkan, for Rachel and for all the innocent victims of Israel’s illegal aggression. The United States must uphold the respect for the sanctity of life, upon which this great country was founded, by withholding foreign aid of more than $3 billion per year until Israel complies with international law and lifts the siege on Gaza and ends the occupation of Palestine.