Free Republic

Israeli officials have taken an American teenager into custody, a State Department spokeswoman confirmed in a statement calling for a “credible” investigation into whether he was beaten by police. “We can confirm that Tariq Khdeir, an American citizen, is being held by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem,” spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force. We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force.” WTSP, a local Tampa media outlet, explains that...

A former IDF soldier is in a legal battle to be recognized as having been handicapped in battle. The ex-soldier says he is mentally ill due to trauma suffered in war, specifically due to terrorist groups’ use of child soldiers. The man says that during his service in the First Lebanon War, he and fellow soldiers were attacked by child terrorists carrying RPGs more than 10 times. Each time he was forced to open fire, a move that saved his life, but – he says – caused lasting mental trauma. The young attackers now haunt his dreams, he says. The...