The United States on Thursday criticized Israel for the sentence given to an Israeli policeman who was filmed beating Tariq Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American citizen, during a violent riot and was given six weeks of community service.
“We were disappointed to learn that the Israeli police officer who severely beat American teenager Tariq Abu Khdeir in July of 2014 was spared prison time by an Israeli court yesterday,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters, adding, “Given the clear evidence captured on videotape of the excessive use of force, it is difficult to see how this sentence would promote full accountability for the actions of the police officer in this case.”