Today, March 16, 2010, marks the seventh anniversary of the death in Gaza of American student and peace activist Rachel Corrie. This brave and compassionate young woman died at the age of 23 when she was crushed by a US-made Caterpillar D9 military bulldozer in Rafah while acting as a human shield, trying to stop the unlawful demolition of a Palestinian home. The Caterpillar's driver, working for the Israeli occupation, refused to stop.
"Rachel took it as self-evident that no Israeli soldier or bulldozer driver would dare kill the citizen of a country from whom Israel was requesting a $11 billion aid package," noted Morgan Guyton in a CounterPunch article two days after Rachel's death. Sadly, if that was indeed Rachel's assumption, she was wrong. Dead wrong.
And now, seven years later, Israeli forces, still funded by our tax dollars, continue their human rights abuses against innocent Palestinian families and international sympathizers.
Meanwhile, a civil trial is now in progress in Haifa in which the Corrie family is suing the Israeli government. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the family's lawyer will argue that "her death was due either to gross negligence by the Israeli military or that it was intended." I hope that justice will be served in this case.
Learn more:
In 2004, Amnesty International published a comprehensive report on the Palestinian home demolitions from a human rights perspective. Download it now: Israel and the Occupied Territories: Under the rubble: House demolition and destruction of land and property
The unfortunate death of Rachel Corrie should always be remembered not only for the statement it makes about her committment to her beliefs but also about emotion taking away her much needed beautiful young voice.
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