• Special to WorldTribune.com

An American military veteran was killed in a terrorist attack in Israel on March 8 while U.S. Vice President was visiting the country.

Taylor Force, a 28-year-old Vanderbilt University graduate student and a U.S. military veteran who Biden said served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, was killed and 11 people were wounded before police shot and killed the Palestinian terrorist.

Biden said on March 9 that his wife Jill and their grandchildren were dining on a Tel Aviv beach and were “not very far” away when the terrorist went on his stabbing rampage.

“Let me say in no uncertain terms, the United States of America condemns these acts and condemns the failure to condemn these acts,” Biden said, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side.

Biden’s remarks appeared to be aimed at Palestinian and Hamas leaders who praised the 22-year-old terrorist, identified as Bashar Masalha, as a “martyr.”

Hamas welcomed the Tel Aviv attack and terrorist attacks on March 8 which struck Petah Tikva and Jerusalem.

In Petah Tikva, a man was moderately wounded but managed to kill his Islamist attacker while in Jerusalem two officers were shot and seriously wounded.

“We applaud the courageous attacks. This is proof of the failure of all the conspiracies meant to eradicate the intifada, which will continue until its goals are achieved,” read a Hamas statement.

The Palestinian Authority’s official TV station praised the terrorist who murdered Taylor Force. A newswoman referred to the attack by Masalha as “a complex operation …carried out by a martyr.”

Since October, Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings have killed 28 Israelis and two U.S. citizens.

  Bashar Masalha, Taylor Force, U.S. veteran killed by stabbing attack in Israel during Biden visit, WorldTribune.com