An Israeli court ruled, Tuesday, that the army “was not at fault” in the murder of American peace activist, Rachel Corrie, who in 2003 was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer while peacefully trying to stop the army from demolishing a Palestinian home, in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.The Israeli judge said that the death of Rachel was a regrettable “accident”, and claimed that “the army was at no fault”.
The Judge, Obed Greshon, of the Haifa District Court, claimed that Rachel, 23, “was killed while protecting terrorists in a combat Zone”, the BBC reported.
He maintained the claim of the Israeli military in which the bulldozer driver claimed that “he did not see her”.
The judge went on to the rude claim that “Rachel did not do what any thinking person would have done, as she did not distance herself from the bulldozer, the BBC added.
Rachel’s family brought charges against Israel for intentionally killing their daughter, and also accused Israel of not conducting a credible investigation into the attack.
The ruling of the court comes in coherence with the claim of the Israeli military, as the army allegedly investigated the incident and determined that “the military is not at fault for her death”.
The Court’s verdict was made in the presence of Cindy and Craig, the father and mother of Rachel Corrie, and several friends of activists.
Rachel Corrie is from Olympia, Washington in the United States of America.
Following the ruling, attorney Hussein Abu Hussein, The Corrie’s attorney, issued the following statement;
While not surprising, this verdict is yet another example of where impunity has prevailed over accountability and fairness. Rachel Corrie was killed while non-violently protesting home demolitions and injustice in Gaza, and today, this court has given its stamp of approval to flawed and illegal practices that failed to protect civilian life. In this regard, the verdict blames the victim based on distorted facts and it could have been written directly by the state attorneys.
We knew from the beginning that we had an uphill battle to get truthful answers and justice, but we are convinced that this verdict distorts the strong evidence presented in court, and contradicts fundamental principles of international law with regard to protection of human rights defenders. In denying justice in Rachel Corrie’s killing, this verdict speaks to the systemic failure to hold the Israeli military accountable for continuing violations of basic human rights.
We would like to thank everyone who supported the family and the legal team; including activists, NGOs, legal observers, US embassy officials, interpreters, reporters who covered the trial, and we look forward to talking to you at the press conference.
