A Muslim American group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which includes its Chicago chapter, has reached out to President Donald Trump’s administration, requesting an investigation into the death of a United States citizen, Khamis Ayyad, who died in a settler attack in the occupied West Bank. Ayyad’s family lacks confidence in any Israeli investigation and has no faith in the Israeli authorities. This letter was sent on the 31st of July, besides, almost a week after Ayyad’s death.
The letter, addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi, specifically mentioned the US-Israel Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) that can allow Washington to look into Ayyad’s death. However, the letter also pointed out that the Department of Justice has not applied these treaties when the perpetrators are Israeli. This has led to a double standard that is considered an act of political convenience.
Ayyad was a resident of the Chicago area and a father of five. He was one of two US citizens killed in settler attacks in the West Bank in July. According to his family, settlers torched cars outside his home, and later, the Israeli army started firing tear gas towards Ayyad, resulting in his death due to the inhalation of tear gas and smoke from the burning vehicles.
Although the US government acknowledged Ayyad’s death, it has not denounced it or called for an investigation. CAIR claims that US officials have not reached out to Ayyad’s family. This has raised concerns that Palestinian lives are not valued by the US government. The CAIR letter also drew attention to Israel’s history of distorting facts and systematically exonerating its soldiers. If Israeli soldiers or settlers kill American citizens, the US usually calls on Israel to investigate, but rarely prosecute anyone for abuses against Palestinians.
Thus far, at least 10 US citizens have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers since 2022, with no cases resulting in criminal charges. This has prompted the CAIR letter to demand a turning point in this issue, criticizing the use of legal technicalities and political convenience as a form of passive complicity. Similar calls for a full US investigation have also been made, with Congressman Chuy Garcia joining Ayyad’s family in this push for accountability.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/7/cair-urges-us-to-probe-the-death-of-father-killed-in-israeli-settler-attack?traffic_source=rss
