TAMPA, Fla. — Dozens of people came together Saturday night to honor 20-year-old Sayfollah Musallet at a vigil held by the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida).
Family members, community members, and local politicians all came out to the Islamic Community of Tampa to share their condolences, remember his name, and call for justice.
"Today, we remember my beloved cousin, a 20-year-old U.S. Citizen," said Saif's 8-year-old cousin at the vigil.
WATCH: "We won’t let him be forgotten": Calls for justice after 20-year-old Tampa man killed in West Bank
Sayfollah Musallet, also known as Saif, was born in Port Charlotte and died in the West Bank.
"We just don’t want him to be forgotten," said Saif's uncle, Hesam Musallet. "We just want everybody to know who he was as a person."
"I stand with you, and I grieve with you, and I’m so very sorry for your loss," said Lynn Hurtak, a Tampa City Council member.
Hesam said his nephew was on summer vacation when, on July 11th, he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank while protecting his family’s land with two others.
His family said it took three hours for paramedics to reach Saif, preventing them from saving his life.
"That’s what hurts the most," said Hesam.
This, sparked widespread calls for justice.
"Because of the tragic and very brutal and barbaric nature of his death, his in fact triggered alarms," said Hiba Rahim, the Deputy Executive Director of CAIR-Florida.
"It’s not only a Palestinian issue, it’s a tragedy for everyone," said Saleh Mubarak, a community member. "And he is one victim, he is one of us - he’s like my son."
CAIR-Florida held a vigil welcoming people of all faiths to mourn Saif’s life.
From the Christian community...
"I have four sons, and when I look at Saif, I just see my owns sons," said Lois Price, a member of the First United Church of Tampa, while choking back tears. "The violences is so senseless, nobody deserves to die like that. No mother, or father or relative deserves to suffer like that."
To the Jewish community…
"Without action, without solidarity for all human beings, they are empty words," said a member of the Jewish community during the vigil.
Saif’s family said they will miss him - he was respected in Tampa as the owner of a local ice cream shop with ambitions and dreams.
"[He was like] any other 20-year-old that would be out there, and wanted to have fun," said Hesam. "[He] looked forward to life, like I said, he looked forward to starting his own family, and expanding his business to different locations."
CAIR-Florida and its family members said they will not stop fighting until justice is served.
CNN reports that the Israeli military has said it is investigating Musallet’s death but did not respond to allegations that it prevented ambulances from reaching him.
The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, reportedly called for an aggressive Israeli investigation into the killing, calling Saif's death a “criminal and terrorist act."
Homeowners face foreclosure in same neighborhood where woman was jailed over lawn complaints
Irena Green, who spent seven days in the Hillsborough County Jail over what started out as HOA violations involving her lawn, is now facing foreclosure. But she's not the only homeowner.
