N.J. politicians react to the killing of New Jerseyan Amer Mohammed Saada Rabee in the West Bank

News broke yesterday that Amer Mohammed Saada Rabee, a 14-year-old American citizen and New Jersey native living in the West Bank, had been killed by Israeli military forces over the weekend; here’s some of what New Jersey politicians are saying about the tragedy.

Congresswoman Nellie Pou (who represents Rabee’s hometown of Saddle Brook)

“The death of Amer Mohammed Rabee over the weekend deeply saddens me. Members of our community in North Jersey are in anguish and I would like answers to what happened. My office has reached out to the U.S. State Department for more information about the events leading to his death. I offer my condolences to his family members and loved ones in New Jersey. I will continue to use my office to push for a two-state solution that guarantees Israel and Palestinians the right to live in peace and security. This cycle of violence must end.”

Governor Phil Murphy

“I am saddened by the death of Amer Mohammed Saada Rabee, who was killed in the West Bank on Sunday.

Amer was a U.S. citizen and New Jersey native who grew up in Saddle Brook. As the circumstances of his death remain unclear, I am asking for answers from the Israeli government as to why Amer—who was just 14 years old—was killed.

This tragic loss of life underscores that the current course of conflict is continuing to take too great of a toll on too many people. Tammy and I are praying for Amer’s parents, Mohammed and Majed, and his four siblings, as they face this horrific loss.”

Senator Cory Booker

“The death of a 14-year-old New Jerseyan and American citizen, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, in the West Bank is another devastating reminder of the horrific human cost of ongoing conflict and tensions in the region. There must be a full and transparent accounting of the circumstances around his death and the actions of Israeli security forces.  During Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the White House today, I urge President Trump to seek answers and accountability.

From the death of Amer Rabee, Shireen Abu Akleh, and family members of constituents across New Jersey, to Hamas taking Edan Alexander, also an American citizen from New Jersey, hostage – our New Jersey communities are reeling every day because of the personal impact of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

I’ve long had disagreements with the actions of the Netanyahu government, from their efforts to erode Israeli democracy to their interference in US politics — to their settlement expansion policy in the West Bank. I have also long warned of the increasing danger posed by extremist Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.  I call on the Trump administration to reinstate sanctions on perpetrators of such violence, which directly threatens the objectives of protecting innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians and preventing the war in Gaza and tensions in the West Bank from escalating into a wider regional conflict.

To press for change, I traveled to Israel and the West Bank in March 2024 to meet with Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders and continue to engage with our government as well as with leaders across the region.

And I will continue to do everything I can to push for a two-state solution, where we protect Israel’s right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and affirm the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and a state of their own.  To start this work, all parties must recommit to working toward a ceasefire agreement that gets the hostages home, facilitates humanitarian aid into Gaza, and breaks the cycle of violence in the West Bank and the region. This is the only way to truly create a pathway towards a just and sustainable peace in the region that protects Israelis and Palestinians.”

Senator Andy Kim

“The death of Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, an American citizen from New Jersey, is a tragedy and a reminder of the urgency and importance of doing everything we can to lower hostilities and find a path to a sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Today, President Trump met with Prime Minister Netanyahu and should have pressed him for a full and open investigation into Amer’s death and reinstate sanctions on Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

This is a conflict that’s had a heavy impact on New Jersey. Edan Alexander has been held captive by Hamas, who continues to launch rocket attacks on Israeli civilians as recently as last night, for nearly 550 days. Amer should be the last child killed in this conflict and Edan must be returned home. A further spiral of violence is not a path that will yield a single victor, and it’s one the United States should work to ensure is stopped immediately.”

State Senator Joseph Lagana (who represents Rabee’s hometown of Saddle Brook)

“I am heartbroken by the death of Amer Rabee, a Palestinian American teenager and US citizen, who was killed in the West Bank this weekend.

“Born on New Jersey soil and raised in Saddle Brook Township, Amer’s passing cuts especially deep—not only are we mourning a 14-year-old boy, but one of our very own, someone from our community who took his first steps right here among us. This tragedy is a painful reminder that the agony and devastation of war knows no borders—it touches all corners of the world. Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare, and we grieve with his family as they endure the unimaginable.

“Our hearts are with his loved ones and all those in mourning, here and abroad, as this conflict continues to inflict its terrible wounds.”