A civil suit filed by the parents of slain activist Rachel Corrie against the state of Israel began today in the northern Israeli city of Haifa.Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2005 while trying to protect a Palestinian doctor’s home from demolition. She was twenty-three years old, and a native of Olympia Washington.
Her parents, Craig and Cindy Corrie, filed the lawsuit two years ago. The trial began today and is expected to last several weeks.
The Corries and their daughter Sarah Simpson are in Haifa for the trial, along with a number of Israeli and international supporters. Palestinians are not allowed to attend the trial due to Israeli-imposed restrictions on their freedom of movement.
The trial is being held in an Israeli court, and one witness described a lack of good interpretation and decorum in the courtroom.
There are no jury trials in Israel, so the Israeli judge will have the final word on whether the state of Israel violated its own laws by killing the non-violent peace activist.
