CAIR urges White House and Congress to demand release of US citizen Abdalkareem Safi held by Israel
The Council on American-Islamic Relations says 19-year-old US citizen Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi has been held by Israel without charge in administrative detention since June, and called on the State Department to secure his release.
The largest Muslim civil-rights group in the United States, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), has called on the White House and Congress to demand the release of US citizen Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi, held in an Israeli prison. The statement, issued with CAIR's Texas chapter, was released around 2-3 October 2026.
What is known
According to CAIR, Safi, 19, with Texas roots, was taken by the Israeli military in June 2026 from his family home in Jalazone (north of Ramallah) in the occupied West Bank. He has been held for nearly four months at Ofer prison under an administrative detention order, with no charge and based on secret evidence withheld from his lawyer and family.
CAIR's demand
CAIR urged Congress to use its oversight authority and press the State Department to help secure Safi's swift and safe release, citing reports of his deteriorating health.
CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said: "It should be unacceptable to the White House and Congress for the Israeli government to continue kidnapping Americans and disappearing them into prisons known for torture, all without any criminal charges or other due process."
US government and Israeli positions
A State Department spokesman said the administration is tracking the situation and working to obtain medical care, proper treatment and consular visits, but declined further comment citing privacy. Israel did not comment on the case; it frames administrative detention as a lawful security measure, while critics call it detention without charge or trial.
