Muslim civil rights group demands Trump admin ‘put America first by condemning the Israeli government’s latest violence against an American citizen and holding it accountable for its crimes.’
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today condemned Israeli forces for singling out and beating Black American labor rights activist Chris Smalls.
Smalls, the former president of Amazon Labor Union, was one of the 21 activists and journalists illegally detained in international waters when Israeli forces boarded a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship bringing badly needed humanitarian supplies to the starving people of Gaza.
SEE: US activist Chris Smalls ‘choked, kicked’ while detained by Israeli forces
In a statement posted online, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said:
“When he reached the Israeli prison, U.S. human rights defender Chris Smalls was physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals. They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back.
“When his lawyer met with him, Chris was surrounded by six members of Israel’s special police unit. This level of force was not used against other abducted activists.
“We condemn this violence against Chris and demand accountability for the assault and discriminatory treatment he faced.”
Israel has slaughtered more than 60,000 people in Gaza, mainly women and children.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The Israeli apartheid government’s racism does not stop at Palestinians; it extends to many other people of color, especially Black people inside and outside of Israel. That’s almost certainly why Israeli forces singled out and beat labor leader Chris Smalls, the only Black man aboard the hijacked Gaza aid flotilla and the only activist subjected to such abuse. We call on the Trump administration to put America first by condemning the Israeli government’s latest violence against an American citizen and holding it accountable for its crimes.”
Yesterday, CAIR condemned the killing by an illegal Israeli settler of Palestinian human rights activist Awdah Hathaleen, who was recently denied entry to the U.S. and who helped film “No Other Land” documentary highlighting Israel’s apartheid occupation of the West Bank.
Also yesterday, CAIR welcomed the recognition of the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza by two prominent Israeli human rights organizations.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com