‘US-backed Israeli whitewash’: Abu Akleh probe sparks anger
US State Department says the investigation could not
conclusively determine the origin of the bullet that killed the journalist.
4 Jul 2022
Palestinian officials, human rights advocates, and the
family of Shireen Abu Akleh have reacted with anger and condemnation to a
report announced by the US State Department that failed to conclusively find
that the Al Jazeera journalist was killed by deliberate Israeli gunfire.
On Monday, the US State Department said a report by
independent investigators had found that Abu Akleh was likely killed by “unintentional” gunfire from
Israeli positions, but could not reach a definitive conclusion about the origin
of the bullet that struck her.
Abu Akleh, a veteran Al Jazeera journalist and a
Palestinian American, was killed on May 11 while
covering an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, despite
wearing a helmet and flak jacket clearly marked “PRESS”.
Prior investigations by The Associated Press news
agency, broadcaster CNN, the New York Times, and The
Washington Post newspapers, as well as monitoring conducted by the Office of the UN human rights chief, have
lent support to witness accounts that Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces.
On Saturday, Palestinian officials said they had
handed the bullet over to US officials but conflicting reports over who would
conduct the tests on the bullet emerged the following day – with an Israeli
military spokesman saying the Israelis would test the bullet in the presence of
US officials. Palestinian officials maintain that Israel cannot be trusted to
conduct a fair and transparent investigation into the killing.
Here are the reactions so far to the report:
Abu Akleh’s family
In a lengthy statement, Abu Akleh’s family said they
were disappointed by how the investigation was conducted, as well as with its
conclusions but pledged to keep fighting for justice.
“We are incredulous,” the family said in a statement
published on social media.
“To say that this investigation, with its total lack
of transparency, undefined goals, and support for Israel’s overall position is
a disappointment would be an understatement,” her family said.
Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority (PA) denounced the findings
and called on the US to hold Israel accountable for Abu Akleh’s killing.
“We express our regret that the Israeli government has
evaded its responsibilities towards the assassination of Abu Akleh,” PA
spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said, according to the Wafa news agency.
“We call on the US administration to maintain its
credibility and to hold Israel fully responsible for the murder of the martyr
Abu Akleh because the Palestinian and international facts confirm the
responsibility of the Israeli army without any doubt,” Rudeineh said.
Palestine Liberation Organization
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the executive committee
of the Palestine Liberation Organization, accused the US of protecting Israel.
“The truth is clear but the US administration continues
to stall in announcing it,” Abu Youssef told the Reuters news agency. “We say
Israel killed Shireen Abu Akleh and it has to be held responsible for the crime
it has committed.”
Israeli prime minister
Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid said that an internal
Israeli army investigation had found that there was no intention to harm Abu
Akleh.
“The [Israeli military] investigation was unable to
determine who is responsible for the tragic death of journalist Shireen Abu
Akleh, but it was able to determine conclusively that there was no intention to
harm her. Israel expresses sorrow over her death,” Lapid said in a statement on
Monday.
B’tselem
B’tselem, an Israeli human rights group, called the
investigation a “US-backed Israeli whitewash”.
“All investigations published so far conclude that
Israel is responsible for the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh,” the
group said in a tweet on Monday.
Mai El-Sadany, human rights lawyer
Mai El-Sadany, a human rights lawyer based in
Washington, DC, denounced the findings, calling them “shameful”.
“Words matter,” El-Sadany said in a tweet. “Shameful
US State Department statement today on the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh which
facilitates erasure & impunity with vagueness & distractions – in the
face of independent reporting which has already made clear findings, including the presence of no militants near Abu Akleh.”
Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian politician
Palestinian politician Hanan Ashrawi also slammed the
report as “disgraceful”.
“Many independent international investigations have
concluded that Shireen was killed by an Israeli sniper. Once again, Israeli
evasive tactics & lies + American collusion & cover-up combine to
maintain Israel’s impunity,” she wrote on Twitter.
Agnes Callamard, secretary-general of Amnesty
International
Amnesty International secretary-general Agnes
Callamard said the killing of Abu Akleh must be investigated as an act of
“excessive use of force”.
Callamard also said that while intention matters, “its
possible absence does not absolve Israel of its responsibilities”.
“And #Israel must be held accountable. Justice must be
delivered,” she tweeted. “Journalists must be protected when doing their work.
Not a target.”
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