Bad news for a sick American student and a sign of how little leverage the US uses over Israel despite massive aid.

• Israeli forces seized 20-year-old American student Sama Safi at her West Bank home at 3 a.m., with no clear charges beyond vague "terrorism" claims.
• She has a chronic illness that needs daily medication, and her family fears serious harm without it.
• Only two senators, Chris Van Hollen and Peter Welch, are publicly pushing for her release; the same effort freed another detained American last year.
• The US gives Israel billions in aid yet rarely uses it as leverage, and 13 Americans killed by Israeli forces since 2023 have led to no arrests.
• US media has almost entirely ignored the story, especially when the victims are Muslim Americans.

Outlook: She has a court date next week, but past cases suggest accountability is unlikely without sustained pressure.