Below is a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by over 100 organizations urging him to work to secure the immediate release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, an honors student with a sever chronic health condition who is arbitrarilt detained by the Israeli military. Download a PDF of the letter here.
August 17, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
RE: Over 100 organizations demand the immediate and permanent release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, an honors student with a medical condition, wrongfully detained by the Israeli military.
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We are a coalition of 102 faith-based, human rights, and civil rights groups writing with urgency to demand that the U.S. Department of State act now to ensure the immediate and permanent release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, a 20-year-old honors University student with a severe
complex chronic health condition, who the Israeli military has arbitrarily and wrongfully detained since June 2.
On June 2 at 3 AM, armed Israeli soldiers broke down the door of Sama’s family’s home in the West Bank and ripped Sama away from her family. Sama has one of the most severe forms of a complex chronic illness. Her health is at risk of rapid deterioration without specialized ongoing care abroad. Interruption in Sama’s specialized care abroad places Sama at high risk of clinical deterioration, severe inflammatory relapse, progressive organ damage, hospitalization, and potentially life-threatening repercussions. Sama’s mother and father are terrified that Sama’s health could quickly deteriorate, leading to life-threatening repercussions if she is not released immediately.
The Israeli military has illegally transferred Sama out of the West Bank to the Damon Israeli military prison near Haifa, which amounts to a grave breach of Article 147 of the 4th Geneva Convention, which stipulates the unlawful transfer deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of protected persons from an Occupied Territory to the territory of the Occupying Power, and constitutes a war crime.
In a statement, Sama shared the horrific conditions she is being subjected to by the Israeli military, stating, “After I was taken into custody, I was shackled, blindfolded, driven around for several hours. I was given no food or water for the first 24 hours.” Sama also shared in a statement, “During my detention, I was subjected to repeated verbal abuse… I was blindfolded, shackled, and placed in painful stress positions.”
Sama is beloved by her community, friends, and family; she is a daughter and big sister. Sama’s friends describe her as the “sweetest person they know,” dedicated to helping people and always putting others first. She is an honors psychology student at Birzeit University. Sama has always been fascinated by people, and her deep love for others is what led her to study psychology. Her passions include oil painting, sketching, and collage art. Sama just celebrated her 20th birthday in April. She should be focusing on building her future, not being unjustly abducted by the Israeli military and enduring this nightmare.
Americans across the country have made thousands of calls and sent emails to elected officials to demand Sama’s immediate release. Numerous elected officials have also spoken out, demanding Sama’s immediate release.
Top UN experts and numerous leading human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the Israeli military’s use of its military rule over Palestinians, specifically to kidnap Palestinians and entrench Israel’s system of apartheid in Palestinian land. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem issued a report titled “Welcome to Hell,” calling Israel’s military prisons a “network of torture camps.” There have been a growing number of reports by human rights groups and the UN documenting Israel’s widespread use of torture in Israeli prisons against Palestinians, including sexual abuse, denying medical care, food, and water. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are subjected to Israeli military rule, where the Israeli military is the judge and the prosecutor, leading to Palestinians being subjected to a 96% conviction rate.
We are demanding that the U.S. Department of State work to secure the immediate release of Sama Safi, who is being wrongfully detained by the Israeli military on baseless claims. We call on the U.S. Department of State to protect US citizens, particularly students like Sama. As a coalition of faith-based, human rights, and civil rights organizations, we stress the urgency of Sama’s health and the need to act quickly to ensure Sama’s health does not deteriorate to a life-threatening condition.
Signed by,
1. Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida
2. IMEU Policy Project
3. A New Policy
4. Adalah Justice Project
5. Advocates 4 Justice
6. Akron Palestine Solidarity Collective
7. Allendale United Methodist Church – St. Petersburg
8. Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
9. American Committee for Middle East Rights
10. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
11. AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT OF FLORIDA
12. American Muslims for Palestine – FL
13. American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
14. Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
15. Arab American Caucus
16. Arab Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party
17. Arab Community Alliance – Tampa, FL.
18. AROC Action
19. Audubon Park Church Orlando
20. Bay Area Dream Defenders
21. Binghamton Solidarity for Palestine
22. Black Voters Matter
23. Brevard For Palestine
24. California Democrats for Justice in Palestine
25. Center for Constitutional Rights
26. Center on Gender and Extreme Sentencing
27. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
28. Codepink
29. Colonized Peoples Alliance
30. Columbia County for Palestine
31. Council on American-Islamic Relations
32. CT Palestine Solidarity Coalition
33. Dallas Peace and Justice Center
34. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
35. Democratic Progressive Caucus of Hillsborough County
36. Democratic Socialists of America
37. Detroit Anti-War Committee
38. Doctors Against Genocide
39. Dream Defenders
40. Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network
41. Fight Back FIBA
42. FL National Organization for Women
43. Florida Palestine Network
44. Florida Peace Action Network
45. Florida Student Power
46. For Aysenur
47. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
48. Friends of Palestinian Detainees
49. Greater Orlando National Organization for Women
50. Hawaii Peace and Justice
51. Jefferson County Palestine Solidarity
52. Jewish Voice for Peace
53. Jewish Voice for Peace – South Bay
54. Jewish Voice for Peace, Central Ohio
55. Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles
56. Jewish Voice for Peace, South Florida
57. Justice4Palestine – Actions Enablement Network (J4P)
58. Labor for Palestine National Network
59. Labor-Community Alliance of South Florida
60. Manos In Action
61. MARUF CT
62. Maui for Palestine
63. MI Coalition Against Genocide
64. Miami Democratic Socialists of America
65. Michigan Divest
66. MNPAC Minnesota Progressive Action Coalition
67. Musicians Against Genocide
68. Muslims for Democracy and Fairness
69. National Lawyers Guild-Palestine Sub-Committee
70. Neighborhood Fridge Florida Chapter
71. Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel
72. OC Progressives
73. Orlando 50501
74. Orlando for Peace
75. PAL PAC
76. Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids
77. Palestinian Christians for Justice
78. Palestinian Feminist Collective
79. Partners for Palestine
80. Party for Socialism and Liberation, Tampa Bay
81. Peace and Justice Institute
82. Peacebuilders Academy
83. Pinellas Democratic Socialists of America
84. Restorative Justice Coalition
85. Rise Up For Sudan
86. San Diego BDS
87. San Diego Grassroots 4 Palestine
88. South Florida Muslim Federation
89. Space Coast Palestine Coalition
90. Space Coast Progressive Alliance
91. State Voices Florida
92. Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA
93. SUNY BDS
94. SWC4P
95. Tampa Bay For Palestine
96. Taxpayers Against Genocide
97. USA Palestine Mental Health Network
98. USCPR Action
99. Veterans Against the Machine
100. Veterans For Peace, Chapter 113-Hawaii
101. Watermelon Market
102. Young Muslims
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