The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today held a news conference at its Washington, D.C. headquarters with the sons of Samaher Esmail, an American citizen and grandmother from New Orleans who was recently kidnapped, beaten, and denied access to medicine by Israeli forces in the West Bank.
WATCH THE FULL NEWS CONFERENCE
As mentioned during the press conference, the family’s Israeli Arab attorney wrote a memorandum documenting the abuses Ms. Esmail has endured since the start of her detention.
READ A REDACTED VERSION OF THE LETTER
BACKGROUNDER:
Last Monday, CAIR called for the release of Esmail. Last Wednesday, the CAIR also sent a letter to the State Department, urging expedited action in demanding her release.
Congressman Troy A. Carter (D-LA-2) also reported on Twitter (formerly known as X) that his office is concerned about Esmail and is “in contact with the American Embassy and the State Department to inquire why a U.S. citizen is being held.” This incident was also covered by Louisiana NBC news station WDSU6 in the article titled: “Family: New Orleans grandmother kidnapped, beaten in West Bank of Palestine.“
Last week, CAIR also called the Biden administration to demand the release of two U.S. citizens reportedly kidnapped overnight in Gaza by Israeli forces and to save other Americans trapped or held hostage in Gaza by securing a ceasefire.
Sky News reports that Israeli forces have detained two American brothers – Borak Alagha, 18, and Hashem Alagha, 20, two brothers born in the Chicago area – and their Canadian father in an overnight raid on their home in Gaza.
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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