International Solidarity Movement’s response to the Rachel Corrie verdict
ISM | August 28, 2012
The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is deeply concerned by the verdict of Judge Oded Gershon that absolved Israel’s military and state of the 2003 murder of American ISM activist Rachel Corrie. Rachel was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the American administration stating that the Israeli military investigation had not been “thorough, credible and transparent” and the Israeli government withholding key video and audio evidence, Judge Gershon found no fault in the investigation or in the conclusion that the military and state were not responsible for Rachel’s death. Judge Gershon ruled that Rachel was to blame for her own murder and classifies her non-violent attempt to prevent war crimes as proof that Rachel was not a “thinking person”.
By disregarding international law and granting Israeli war criminals impunity Judge Gershon’s verdict exemplifies the fact that Israel’s legal system cannot be trusted to administer justice according to international standards. The ISM calls on the international community to hold Israel accountable by supporting the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) and continuing to join the Palestinian struggle in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Describing the situation in Gaza 2 days before she was killed, Rachel said, “I’m witnessing the systematic destruction of a people’s ability to survive. It’s horrifying.” Rachel’s analysis holds true today, confirmed by the United Nations a day before this ruling, which reported that Gaza would not be “liveable” by 2020 barring urgent action.
The verdict is a green light for Israeli soldiers to use lethal force against human rights defenders and puts Palestinian and International human rights defenders in mortal danger.
This will not deter us. As long as our Palestinian sisters and brothers want our presence, the ISM will continue to find ways to break Israel’s siege, and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. As Rachel’s mother Cindy put it, “There were children behind the walls of the home Rachel was trying to protect… We should have all been there”.
Judge Gershon’s verdict is a travesty of justice but it is not exceptional. As a rule the Israeli legal system provides Israeli soldiers impunity to commit murder. The only Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter since the outbreak of the second Intifada in 2000 was Taysir Hayb, a Bedouin citizen of Israel for shooting British ISM volunteer Tom Hurndall in the back of the head with a sniper rifle as Tom was carrying a child to safety. At least 6,444 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces in this period, with no justice for them or their families.
For more information Contact: Aide Mormech 059228094 or Huwaida Arraf 0598336215
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The Forcible Transfer of the Palestinian People from the Jordan Valley
By Mercedes Melon | Badil Resource Center | Spring-Summer 2012
Forcible transfer and deportation are terms that commonly evoke images of people being loaded onto trucks or trains or violently driven away.1 Forcible transfer, however, may also take the form of involuntary or induced movement of people resulting from the creation of insecurity, disorder, or other adverse conditions, for the purpose of, or resulting in such migration. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits all forcible transfers. Only the security of the population of the occupied territory or imperative military reasons can exceptionally justify total or partial evacuation of an area under occupation. Those evacuated shall be transferred back to their homes as soon as hostilities in the area in question have ceased.
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The forgotten Rachels:
Rachel Levy (aged 17, blown up in a grocery store)
Rachel Levi (19, shot while waiting for the bus)
Rachel Gavish (killed with her husband, son and father while at home celebrating a Passover meal)
Rachel Charhi (blown up while sitting in a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three young children)
Rachel Shabo (murdered with her three sons aged 5, 13 and 16 while at home)
Rachel Ben Abu (16, blown up outside the entrance of a Netanya shopping mall)
Rachel Kol, 53, who worked at a Jerusalem hospital and was killed with her husband in a Palestinian terrorist attack in July a few days after the London bombs.
What happened to the other Rachels was obviously strongly in the mind of the judges and looks to be the main factor leading to their verdict. Does Palestine have a court by the way?
One wonders what Israel may have done to the killers of these Rachels.
Perhaps the Israelis thought that they identified them and then fired missiles at them from drones killing groups of bystanders along with the supposed targets.
Another possibility is that they bombed Palestinian security forces after the attacks in acts of collective punishment.
Shameless cowardice is the hallmark of the Zionist crime forces.
the forgotten rachels and other pieces of crap – dont occupy someone else’s land and homes.
Yes.
We should never forget that there is no equivalence in the Israel/Palestine issue. One side is the aggressor. Any “Rachel” Israeli is a guilty party by any ethical standard.
Great article. Thanks for posting.