Israel detains U.S. man accused of connections with terrorist groups

By Kelly Rayburn
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

Riad Abdelkarim’s four children blew up balloons to
welcome their father back to the United States from Israel, where
he was on a fact-finding mission with a group of doctors.

Just over a week later, their father ““ who helped found
the Al-Talib newsmagazine while an undergraduate at UCLA
““ is still in Israel, detained by officials and
“accused of membership in a terrorist organization and
attempting to fund terrorist organizations,” according to one
judge’s remarks in a statement from the U.S. State
Department.

But Israel has not charged Abdelkarim with a crime. Officials
said they won’t reveal evidence against him for security
reasons.

Meanwhile, Abdelkarim started a hunger-strike Friday to protest
being held without charges, colleagues and family members say.

Abdelkarim’s brother, Basim, said he is not sure whether
his brother is even drinking water.

The family continues to wait.

“His wife is devastated, and the children are wanting
their father back,” said Sabiha Khan, spokeswoman for the
Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of many groups that have
lobbied for Abdelkarim’s release.

Sparks of optimism remain for Abdelkarim’s family and
friends. Dalell Mohmed, an American Muslim from Texas who travelled
with Abdelkarim and was also arrested, was released Monday and is
returning to the United States.

Also, an Israeli judge recently ruled that Abdelkarim must be
released in a matter of days if he is not formally charged, said
Khan, whose organization has been in communication with people in
Israel since Abdelkarim’s detainment.

“It’s a hopeful sign,” Khan said.

Israel officials won’t discuss the evidence against
Abdelkarim. He does have connection to one organization accused of
funding the terror group Hamas, which claimed responsibility for
last week’s suicide bombing of a pool hall in a Tel Aviv
suburb. Abdelkarim served on the board of directors of the Holy
Land Foundation, which had its assets frozen by the Bush
administration.

Family and friends say that is not likely the reason why he was
detained, since he had traveled to Israel in January without
incident, and he went on his recent journey with another
group, the International Medical Corps.

When looking for an explanation, they point to the fact that
Abdelkarim had called and e-mailed back reports of terrible
destruction caused by the Israeli military.

Abdelkarim had said in a Jenin refugee camp, “you can
smell death wherever you walk,” according to Khalid Turrani
of the Washington-based Muslims for Jerusalem.

With reports from The Associated Press.