America Won't Protect Its Own Citizens From Israeli Settlers
Even when American lives are on the line, one thing is clear, Israel comes first.
Sayfollah Musallet was a U.S. citizen. He was visiting family in the occupied West Bank when settlers allegedly beat him unconscious and blocked paramedics from reaching him. He died without receiving medical attention. And the U.S. government, once again, did nothing.
There was no emergency resolution, no travel warning, no demand for arrests or sanctions, just the standard template: "We are aware of the reports and are looking into it."
This isn't the first time a U.S. citizen has been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, and it won't be the last. Because America has made one thing clear: when it comes to Israel, some lives don't matter, even when they hold an American passport.
When journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a U.S. citizen, was shot in the head by Israeli forces in 2022, the U.S. responded with vague regret and no accountability. When Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, died in Israeli custody after being bound and gagged by soldiers, the U.S. said it was "troubled" but took no further action.
Sayfollah Musallet now joins a list of Americans who died violently at the hands of Israeli actors, without consequence, without justice, and without even the pretense of a red line.
U.S. law technically bars funding for foreign security units that commit gross human rights violations. But for decades, Israel has enjoyed effective immunity. Even when the State Department finds credible evidence of abuses, political appointees waive restrictions. The message is clearer than ever: Israel is exempt.
Settler violence in the West Bank has escalated dramatically in the past year. Armed with U.S.-funded weapons and protected by the Israeli military, settlers operate more like paramilitary units than civilians. Homes are torched. Olive trees uprooted. Entire villages emptied. The U.N. calls it ethnic cleansing. The U.S. calls it "troubling" and moves on.
Why does Washington stay silent? Because Israel is still considered a cornerstone of U.S. strategy in the Middle East. Because political donations and lobbying groups will punish any official who dares to suggest consequences. Because the death of an American citizen in Palestine doesn't carry the same political weight as one in Russia, China, or Iran.
If a U.S. citizen were murdered by militants in any of those countries, there would be hell to pay. But when it's Israel, even the murder of Americans is "complex," "nuanced," or "under investigation."
Sayfollah's death is not just a tragedy. It's a revelation. The American passport, once thought to offer protection anywhere in the world, means nothing in the occupied West Bank. At least not if the violence comes from Israeli settlers.
Until the U.S. government is willing to hold Israel accountable economically, diplomatically, and legally, no American citizen in Palestine is truly safe. And no U.S. statement about human rights will ever ring true again.