Israel Stabbing Victim Taylor Force Was U.S. Army Vet and MBA Student
After deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, Texas native Taylor Force made a life change last fall when he enrolled in Vanderbilt University's MBA program.
A school-sponsored trip this week to Israel was an opportunity to see the country's growing startup scene.
But on Tuesday night, while out in the Tel Aviv neighborhood of Jaffa, in an Arab-Jewish quarter, a Palestinian man went on a stabbing rampage that left Force dead and 10 others wounded, police said.
Force, 28, was the only Vanderbilt student harmed.
<img class="img-responsive img_inline" src="http://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2016_10/1450491/160308-taylor-force-mn-1945_9d559c4c1d3cce836d785ed1aefa23b3.nbcnews-fp-360-360.jpg" alt="" title="" itemprop="image"/>
Vanderbilt University student Taylor Force was a Lubbock, Texas, native and a first-year MBA student. Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University
"He was a great kid," father Stuart Force told The Associated Press.
The incident was at least the fourth in a burst of violence that gripped Israel Tuesday — on the same day Vice President Joe Biden landed for high-level talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials. Two Israeli police were attacked when a Palestinian opened fire near Jerusalem's Old City. The suspect was killed.
Earlier, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli in the neck in the central city of Petah Tikvah before he was shot and killed, police said, while a Palestinian woman who tried to stab Israeli security forces in the Old City was also killed.
In remembering Force, Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos said he "exemplified the spirit of discovery."
Related: Vanderbilt MBA Student Killed Amid Stabbing Violence in Israel
"This horrific act of violence has robbed our Vanderbilt family of a young hopeful life and all of the bright promise that he held for bettering our greater world," Zeppos said in a message to students and faculty.
Force graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army from 2009 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn page . He had been based at Fort Hood, Texas, as a platoon leader and fire support officer, among other duties.
Force went to high school at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell and was an Eagle Scout, according to the LinkedIn page. At West Point, Force was a member of the ski team and received a bachelor's degree in engineering and industrial management.
In an interview with the MBA website Poets & Quants in November, Force said he was excited for his future going back to school.
" In addition to learning the skills needed to be successful in business, I want to establish life-long connections and friendships with my fellow students from the U.S. and around the globe," he said.
State Department spokesman John Kirby condemned the attacks Tuesday and offered his "heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Taylor and all those affected by these senseless attacks."
Biden also tweeted in response that "there is no justification for such acts of terror."
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/israel-stabbing-victim-taylor-force-was-u-s-army-vet-n534516
Tags
Who is online
462 visitors
The takeaway here is important to note:
This act of terrorism took place not in Jerusalem or Hebron, where the Palestinians claim a share of the territory, but in Tel Aviv, a place that is 1)not in dispute and 2)a place where support for the liberal causes of Arab citizenship and Palestinian statehood are the strongest.
No matter where these hundreds of attacks take place, they all fit under the category of terrorism; they are murderous attacks against civilians and non-combatant soldiers. The Palestinians make no distinction, and their media and leaders do not parse:
I'm surprised to not see 'News' stories about how the Israelis are at fault for this too.....
Gotta disagree with you about this Gary. You would have a case if we were talking about disputed territories, but this isn't that. And if it went on here, we would call it terrorism... and in case you haven't noticed, we have been involved in the M/E for quite some time, and not always in a positive mode.
Terrorism is terrorism.
On the other hand, Perrie, the incitement by the Palestinian leaders, radio and TV stations and imams will always find an excuse for their savagery, whether it's the "occupation", the "filthy" Jewish feet walking on the Temple Mount, the protective barrier (which obviously isn't strong enough or completed, but according to Netanyahu will NOW be), or just to kill all the Jews in Israel. The comparison of the Israelis with Nazis is so ridiculous, because if the Israelis were like Nazis they would line up 20 Palestinians, innocent or not, and shoot them as "payback" for every Palestinian attack. However, ridding the world of the vermin who just want to kill Jews, innocent or not, is what they deserve and in that respect I am fully supportive. After all, think of all the money the Palestinian leadership gets form Europe and will save and put into their personal Swiss accounts if they don't have to support the terrorists they encourage in Israeli prisons.
I'm not surprised, Spikegary, because the mainstream media will wait for Obama to announce that some guy got killed by some other person for not being in America where he should have been. God forbid that Obama should say it was a Palestinian killing an American citizen for no good reason as a blatant act of terrorism.
I'm waiting to see here the comments by the Palestinian supporting Netanyahu haters. After all, protecting innocent Israeli citizens and American citizens from savage terrorism is an overreaction on the part of that "bloodthirsty beast", Netanyahu.
More barbarism from the Palestinian terrorist state. At least the terrorist's family will get some sweet reward money from Iran...
Yes, Cerenkov, funded by Obama's famous "deal".
Exactly. Thanks, Obama!