- The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 9, 2016

An Army veteran who was traveling in Israel as part of a Vanderbilt University tour group was stabbed to death Tuesday in a terror attack that left 10 others wounded at a popular boardwalk in Tel Aviv.

Taylor Force, 28, a first-year student in Vanderbilt’s graduate school of management, was killed in the attack carried out by a Palestinian at the Jaffa port, university Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos announced.

“This horrific act of violence has robbed our Vanderbilt family of a young hopeful like and all of the bright promise that he held for bettering our greater world,” Mr. Zeppos said.

The school said that Force was among 29 students and four staff members on the trip. None of the other students or faculty were hurt in the attack.

According to Mr. Force’s LinkedIn page, he graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2009 and served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army until 2014.

Mr. Force, who served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, had been based at Fort Hood, Texas, as a platoon leader and fire support officer.

The State Department condemned the attack in a statement.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Taylor and all those affected by these senseless attacks, and we wish a speedy recovery for the injured,” spokesman John Kirby said. “As we have said many times, there is absolutely no justification for terrorism.”

Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who landed Tuesday in Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also offered his condolences.

“Tragic attack in Jaffa today, taking the life of an American. There is no justification for such acts of terror,” Mr. Biden tweeted.

In a November interview with Poets and Quants, Mr. Force said he chose Vanderbilt’s MBA program because of the school’s support for veterans, the diversity of students and the quality of education.

“In addition to learning the skills needed to be successful in business, I want to establish lifelong connections and friendships with my fellow students from around the U.S. and around the globe,” he said.

Vanderbilt is arranging for the other students and staff members to return to the U.S., Mr. Zeppos said.

• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.

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