An Israeli court cleared Israel of all responsibility regarding the death of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an army bulldozer during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Gaza in 2003.
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As reported by IOL News:
Corrie’s family had accused Israel of intentionally and unlawfully killing their 23-year-old daughter, launching a civil case in the northern Israeli city of Haifa after a military investigation had cleared the army of wrong-doing.
Judge Oded Gershon said Corrie’s death was a “regrettable accident”, but invoked a clause that absolved the army because the incident had happened during a war-time situation, adding that the activist had ignored warnings to leave the area.
The Corrie family’s lawyer, Hussein Abu Hussein, said the court verdict contradicted “the fundamental principles of international law with regard to protection of human rights defenders.”
At the time of her death, during a Palestinian uprising, Corrie was protesting against Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Corrie’s death made her a symbol of the uprising, and while her family battled through the courts to establish who was responsible for her killing, her story was dramatised on stage in a dozen countries and told in the book “Let Me Stand Alone.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Corrie family. God bless those souls who are brave enough to lay down their life for a cause they believe in.
SOURCE: IOL NEWS
