(LOS ANGELES, CA – 04/24/2024) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today called on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate reports that U.S. citizen and Los Angeles resident Sammy Ben allegedly committed war crimes in Gaza while serving in the IDF.
SEE: Video of Los Angeles Resident Sammy Ben Stating He Joined the IDF After Oct. 7
A recent post on X (formerly Twitter) from an account identifying themselves as a Palestinian reporter shows a video of allegedly Ben stating that he joined the IDF after Oct. 7 while visiting Israel on a tourist visa. In the alleged video, Ben claims he served for two months in Gaza as an IDF soldier.
Another video, posted by an unknown Instagram account, shows IDF soldiers allegedly throwing money on two detained Palestinian men as they sit, blindfolded and bound, on the ground. An account under Ben’s name, describing the user as “documenting my journey as an American in the IDF,” is tagged in the video.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“It is deeply disturbing that an American citizen has allegedly had a role in Israel’s dehumanization, violence, and genocide against Palestinian civilians. Human rights organizations from all over the world, even Israeli ones such as B’Tselem, have documented that Israel’s ongoing violence and forced humanitarian crisis in Gaza amounts to war crimes, and those who have contributed to these horrific injustices should be held accountable.
“We demand that the DOJ immediately launch a full investigation into whether this individual was involved in war crimes committed against Gaza’s civilians.”
Since Oct. 7, Israel has destroyed entire residential neighborhoods and critical infrastructure in Gaza, displaced over one million people, and killed more than 34,000 civilians, including over 13,000 children. In January, the International Court of Justice found that there is sufficient evidence to support claims that Israel is committing genocide against the people of Gaza.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Madi Hameed, mmorse-hameed@cair.com