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U.S. slams Israel's sentence on case involving an American

Xinhua, November 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

The U.S. criticized Israel on Thursday after a policeman captured on camera beating an American citizen was sentenced to six weeks community service.

The U.S. was disappointed that the policeman in the case was spared prison time by an Israeli court, State Department spokesman John Kirby told a daily news briefing.

"Given the clear evidence...of the excessive use of force, it is difficult to see how this sentence would promote full accountability for the actions of the police officer in this case," Kirby said.

Tariq Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American dual national, was beaten after the murder of his cousin. Israeli extremists had burned the 16-year-old cousin alive in revenge for the killing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank, the Associated Press(AP) reported.

The incident occurred during a violent protest in east Jerusalem in July 2014.

Kirby said that the Israeli state prosecutor can still appeal the decision, and the U.S. will "follow that closely".

The AP report said that the U.S. rarely criticizes internal judicial matters in Israel, which is America's close ally. Enditem