Tampa: The Palestinian-American teenager who was savagely beaten by Israeli police has returned home to Florida and says he will never think of freedom in the same way again.
Tareq Abu Khudair, 15, and his mother flew back to Tampa late on Wednesday on a flight arriving from New York and were greeted by about 50 cheering supporters waving American and Palestinian flags. The Abu Khudairs had flown out of Israel earlier in the day. “I am only 15 but I will never think of freedom the same as I did two months ago,” Tareq said upon arrival at Tampa International Airport. “No child, whether they are Palestinian or Israeli, deserves to die.”
The teenager said the thoughts and prayers of the supporters had helped him, adding “I got through these past two weeks because I knew you were all thinking of me.”
Now, he said, he just wanted some relaxation and time with friends. “It feels so good to be back in Tampa. Can I even put it in words? I can’t wait to go back to play with my friends and go fishing,” he added.
Hassan Shibly, the teen’s attorney and the executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said on Monday that Tareq suffered head trauma and had to receive stitches on his face when beaten two weeks ago as he was arrested during a protest. Supporters say Tareq’s beating was videotaped. The Israeli justice ministry has said an investigation has been opened into the footage.
Israeli authorities sentenced him to nine days of house arrest although he was not charged with any crime. Tareq’s cousin, 17-year-old Mohammad Abu Khudair was kidnapped and brutally murdered by Jewish colonists the day before. Palestinians suspect Mohammad Abu Khudair was killed by Israeli terrorists in a “revenge” attack for the abduction and killings of three Israeli teens in the West Bank last month.
His mother, Suha Khudair, said on Wednesday in Tampa that the last two weeks were a “nightmare.” She wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke and added she was “grateful” for the support she received at home in the Tampa area.
“I cannot begin to describe to you the pain I felt when I looked at his face for the first time after that beating,” she said.
Friends and family have said Tareq went on a vacation to visit relatives he hadn’t seen in about 10 years — not to be part of a conflict. They have described him as a good student who likes basketball, soccer and video games.
