Update: The American tourist killed in today's attack has been identified as Taylor Force, a U.S. Army veteran and student at Vanderbilt University. His wife was also badly injured in the attack.
Original Post
It’s hard to imagine that I and 30 other young adults on the Israel Collective trip were riding segways through Tel Aviv just a few days ago, not a care in the world. Tuesday morning, headlines read that Palestinian terrorists have killed 10 people, including an American tourist, not far from where we were enjoying our sightseeing adventure.
The carnage also happened just meters from where Vice President Joe Biden stepped off the plane for his visit to Tel Aviv, where he plans to meet with Israeli leadership to discuss the Iranian nuclear deal.
Then, after Biden arrived in Tel Aviv, 10 Israelis were stabbed in the city's Jaffa port section, Reuters reported. Five were severely wounded, according to The Jerusalem Post. A BBC reporter tweeted that Biden was a few hundred meters from the attack.
In today's White House press briefing on the attacks, Josh Earnest failed to mention that Palestinian terrorists were responsible for the bloodshed. Instead, he insisted Israelis and Palestinians need to make progress on a peace agreement.
From the moment I stepped foot in Israel, I felt the peace of the Israeli people. They were welcoming and grateful to us for showing our solidarity with them as they face threats from just about every border.
The peaceful environment of the Holy Land has constantly been disrupted by Palestinian terrorists. At the Western Wall, a joyful place where Israelis celebrate their culture every Friday night for Shabbat, I noticed a piece of paper hung on a beam asking for prayers for the dozens of recent terror attacks on innocent Israelis. Since October, terrorists have killed over 200 Israelis and Palestinians.
During our tour of Israel, we were informed about how Palestinians are being taught to stab Jews – a message that is even heard on children’s programs. YouTube videos revealed popular TV shows indoctrinating young people into thinking Jews are the devil and how it is their duty to destroy them.
We can’t let terrorists scare Americans from standing with our friend in the Middle East. More than ever, America needs to show Israel we are behind her.