David M. Friedman, United States Ambassador to Israel, referred Wednesday to Issam Akel, an east Jerusalem resident with American citizenship, who was detained by the PA's General Intelligence Service (GIS) of the Palestinian Authority (PA) six weeks ago on suspicion of selling lands to Jews.
"The Pal Authority has been holding US citizen Isaam Akel in prison for 2 months. His suspected “crime”? Selling land to a Jew. Akel’s incarceration is antithetical to the values of the US and to all who advocate the cause of peaceful coexistence. We demand his immediate release," Friedman tweeted.