Israeli Attacks on International Peace Workers

 US Envoy Writes of Israeli Threats 
Barbara Crossette, The Nation - In the wake of the accusation by Chas Freeman that his nomination to lead the National Intelligence Council was derailed by an "Israeli lobby," a forthcoming memoir by another distinguished ambassador adds stunning new charges to the debate. The ambassador, John Gunther Dean, writes that over the years he not only came under pressure from pro-Israeli groups and officials in Washington but also was the target of an Israeli-inspired assassination attempt in 1980 in Lebanon, where he had opened links to the Palestine Liberation Organization. more

 Parents of critically injured US peace activist demand justice from Israel 
Rory McCarthy, Guardian of London - The parents of an American peace activist who was severely injured by Israeli forces at a demonstration in the occupied West Bank called on the Israeli government today to take "full responsibility" for the shooting. more

 Press Release, Updates, & Video: American citizen critically injured after being shot in the head by Israeli forces in Ni’lin 
International Solidarity Movement - Friday, 13 March 2009, Ni’lin Village: An American citizen has been critically injured in the village of Ni’lin after Israeli forces shot him in the head with a tear-gas canister. more

 Democracy Now! Video: US Consul General Says Awaiting Israeli Report on IDF Shooting of American Citizen 
Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! - An American activist from Oakland, California was critically injured Friday when Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister directly at his head at the close of a weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the West Bank village of N’alin. Thirty-seven-year-old Tristan Anderson underwent brain surgery on Saturday, and parts of his right frontal lobe and shattered bone fragments were removed. He remains in critical condition. We go to the hospital in Tel Aviv to speak with Anderson’s partner, Gabrielle Silverman, and to Andrew Parker, the US Consul General in Tel Aviv. more

 British TV Documentary – Dispatches: The Killing Zone 
Sandra Jordan and Rodrigo Vasquez, Channel 4 - British report on Israeli violence in Gaza against not only Palestinian civilians, but international aid volunteers and foreign reporters as well. more

 American Ambassador Recalls Israeli Assassination Attempt—With U.S. Weapons 
Andrew I. Killgore, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs - Just before John Gunther Dean was to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing as American ambassador to Lebanon in 1978 he received an urgent telephone call from the office of the secretary of state. “John,” the caller said, “we have just noticed that your mother’s [maiden] name is Ashkenaczi. Does this make a serious problem for you?” “Absolutely not,” the near legendary Dean replied, “my father was Jewish, too. I represent a secular America, so that’s all there is to it.” more

 Death and Lies in Palestine 
Ali Abunimah in CounterPunch - I did not know Mr. Iain Hook, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestine Refugees' (UNRWA) official who was killed on November 22 by Israeli occupation forces in Jenin Refugee Camp. But I do know many people -- Palestinians and internationals -- who have worked for the agency. They are, to a person, amongst the most dedicated and compassionate professionals I have the privilege to know. Through a sense of humanitarian commitment they have helped Palestinian refugees to meet their basic needs for more than fifty years, often in the most dire and dangerous conditions. The vast majority of UNRWA's staff are themselves Palestinian refugees, meaning that the agency has not been a source of charity, but of empowerment and work for those who through ethnic cleansing and war lost everything. more

 Irish Nobel peace laureate shot by Israeli military 
Ekklesia - Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire has been shot with a rubber[-coated metal] bullet by the Israeli military while taking part in a nonviolent civil rights protest organised by Palestinians and Israelis. more

 Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Shot By Israeli Troops at Non-Violent Protest – Why Isn’t This News? 
Robert Naiman in Common Dreams - If you listened to Democracy Now on Monday, you already know the following: Irish Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire was among a number of people shot Friday by Israeli troops at a nonviolent protest of the “apartheid wall” in the Palestinian village of Bil’in, near Ramallah. But if you didn’t listen to Democracy Now Monday, you probably didn’t know that. more

 'My son lived a worthwhile life' 
Emine Saner in The Guardian - In April 2003, 21-year old Tom Hurndall was shot in the head in Gaza by an Israeli soldier as he tried to save the lives of three small children. Nine months later, he died, having never recovered consciousness. Emine Saner talks to his mother Jocelyn about her grief, her fight to make the Israeli army accountable for his death and the book she has written in his memory. more

 Rachel Corrie: Myths and Facts 
Rachel's Words - With the long awaited opening of the play "My Name is Rachel Corrie" at the Minetta Lane Theater, we'd like to dispel some common myths that have often crept into media coverage regarding Rachel's death so we can focus instead on her life. We hope to avert factual errors and unnecessary controversy so the play can speak for itself. Towards that end, and with the cooperation of Rachel's family, we have prepared this fact sheet along with clearly referenced sources. more

 Israel: Fear for Safety 
Amnesty International - Human rights defenders working in the Occupied Territories are at risk of attack by Israeli settlers. Amnesty International is concerned at the latest such attack against those who seek through their presence to afford protection to Palestinians and to bear witness to the abuses perpetrated against them by Israeli settlers in the area. more

 Swedish human rights worker viciously attacked by Israeli settler 
ISM Press Release - A 19-year old Swedish human rights worker had her cheekbone broken by an Israeli settler in Hebron today. Tove Johansson from Stockholm walked through the Tel Rumeida checkpoint with a small group of human rights workers to accompany Palestinian schoolchildren to their homes. They were confronted by about 100 settlers in small groups, who started chanting in Hebrew “We killed Jesus, we’ll kill you too!”, a refrain the settlers had been repeating to internationals in Tel Rumeida all day. more

 One blow to the brain 
Dalia Karpel in Haaretz - On Friday, August 11th, when the end of the Lebanon War was on the horizon, after several weeks in which no more than token protests had taken place in Bil'in, the weekly demonstration against the separation fence began. Border Police troops, who were waiting, threw stun grenades and fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the demonstrators, even before they left the village to head toward the fence. Limor Goldstein, 28, was wounded in the head by gunfire from a Border Police officer. As documented on the video that was being shot at the time there, two hours elapsed from the time he was injured until he was brought by ambulance to the emergency room at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. more

 International Peace Activists Released From Hospital 
ISM Press Release, Bil'in - The two international peace activists shot by the Israeli military at Friday’s anti-wall demonstration in Bil’in have been discharged from hospital. Phillip Reiss from Australia was released today, and BJ Lund from Denmark, was released yesterday from the Tel Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv. They are still recovering from their injuries and will meet with a lawyer later today to talk about the possibilities for suing the Israeli Military, after Israeli Border Police shot them in the head with rubber bullets at close range. Israeli Military regulations stipulate that rubber bullets should be shot at a distance of 40 meters, only at the legs or arms. Several Palestinians were also shot, beaten and tear-gassed on Friday more

 Israeli Soldiers Shoot Two International Peace Activists In The Head at Bil’in 
ISM Press Release, Bil'in - “I saw blood gushing out of his head, and helped bandage it. As we were getting him into the ambulance an Israeli soldier grabbed his long hair and they all tried to stop him from leaving in the ambulance even though they knew he was injured”, said American eyewitness Zadie Susser who saw Phillip Reiss from Austraila sitting in shock immediately after he was hit. more

 Craig Corrie on the Silencing of his Daughter’s Words 
Craig Corrie - Please forgive an old actuary, so new to the world of theater and activism, for weighing in where I have so little knowledge or experience, but I would like to express my feelings on two related subjects. First, I thank you all for the wisdom of focusing on the larger questions surrounding the fiasco of the New York Theater Workshop's cancellation of the New York debut of My Name is Rachel Corrie. The silencing of this play is alarmingly similar to the silencing of almost any voice that speaks out for equal rights for Palestinians, and the silence we have all faced so often when demanding justice from Washington or Jerusalem. more

 Who is Afraid of Rachel Corrie 
Warren Guykema in Counterpunch - Dear Mr. Nicola: I write an open letter to encourage you to set a firm date for the opening of "My Name is Rachel Corrie" and to ask you to help me understand what is going on at the workshop that caused it to "postpone" the production that, while apparently not "announced" as firm, was deemed certain enough that its London-based authors booked flights to New York to see it, and tickets were advertised on the Internet. more

 The Erosion of Free Speech 
Robert Fisk in the UK Independent - You've got to fight. It's the only conclusion I can draw as I see the renewed erosion of our freedom to discuss the Middle East. The most recent example – and the most shameful – is the cowardly decision of the New York Theatre Workshop to cancel the Royal Court's splendid production of My Name Is Rachel Corrie. more

 Tom Hurndall Obituary 
Carl Arrindell in The Guardian of London - In the spring of 2002, Tom Hurndall made a journey around Europe, which then took him on to Egypt and Jordan. He was young, a soon-to-be student, interested in philosophy – and most interested in the contrast between cultures. It was a formative experience. Indeed, an abiding image for his friends is of Tom, who has died aged 22, on his motorcycle, cigarette in hand, riding into the Egyptian desert. more

 Caterpillar Bulldozes Shareowner Concern Over Aiding Alleged Israeli War Crimes 
William Baue in SocialFunds.com - Caterpillar faces a shareowner resolution as well as a lawsuit filed by the family of peace activist Rachel Corrie that cites the Nuremberg Tribunal as precedent in alleging war crime complicity. more

 Corries send plea for investigation to Israeli chief Sharon 
Ellyn Ferguson in The Olympian - During his trip to the Middle East, a congressman made a special delivery to Israel’s top leader: a plea from the family of an Evergreen State College student and Olympia resident who died in the path of an Israeli bulldozer for an independent investigation into her death. more

 Family of American Woman Killed by Military Bulldozer Files Suit Against Caterpillar, Inc. 
The Center for Constitutional Rights and partnering law firms today filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois-based Caterpillar, Inc. on behalf of the parents of Rachel Corrie, the 23-year-old American peace activist and student who was run over and killed by a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer on March 16, 2003. more

 Uprising on the Anniversary of Rachel Corrie’s Death 
Alison Weir in Counter Punch - There is a quiet battle going on for the memory of a young woman who could have been my daughter, or perhaps yours. On one side are those who would like to erase her from history her actions, her beliefs, her murder. If they are unsuccessful at that, they will settle for posthumous slurs on her character, falsifications of her death. more

 Levantamientos en el aniversario de una muerte en Español 

 Rachel, Full of Life 
Brooks Berndt in Znet - At the age of 23, Rachel Corrie was full of life. At the age of 23, she was a senior in college ignited by a passion for justice. At the age of 23, she traveled to the Gaza strip as an activist for peace. And, it was at the age of 23 that Rachel Corrie knelt to the ground wearing an orange fluorescent jacket as a 9-ton Caterpillar bulldozer came toward her, knocked her down, crushed her with its blade, ran her over, backed up, and ran her over again. At the age of 23, Rachel Corrie was loved by family and friends who would never see her radiant life again. more

 Congressional Representative Calls for Investigation into Killing of Rachel Corrie 
Les Blumenthal in the News Tribune - U.S. Rep. Adam Smith will hand-deliver a letter to Israel’s prime minister from the family of an Evergreen State College student who was killed almost two years ago as she tried to block an Israeli bulldozer from demolishing a home in a Palestinian refugee camp. more

 Soldier who shot Briton admits lying 
Chris McGreal in the UK Guardian - The Israeli soldier on trial for killing the British peace activist Tom Hurndall in the Gaza Strip has admitted he was lying when he said his victim was carrying a gun, but said he was under orders to open fire even on unarmed people. more

 Heroism in the Holy Land: Chris Brown Beaten for Walking Children to School 
Alison Weir in the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper – There are a small number of people around the world who exhibit extraordinary courage. An even smaller number commit repeated acts of heroism. San Francisco resident Chris Brown is one of them. more

 Shot twice today, but I’m ok – and one of the lucky ones
Neal (ISM) in Kharbatha Bani Harith, West Bank - Today has been quite a crazy adventure, but has also cemented emotions of how absolutely insane the soldiers here are, and how absolutely necessary it is for people to call for an end to this wall, and more importantly, an end to this occupation.  It is amazing how quickly one day, actually really only five hours, can really push one forward.  Today for the first time I really felt endangered, pretty scared during various moments, and even decided I would rather be shot in the back of the head than in the face, but I will get there a little later. more

 The Shooting of Brian Avery 
Lasse S. of ISM - Yesterday a year ago an Israeli soldier shot my American friend Brian Avery in the face. Yesterday a year ago I stopped running, turned around, and saw Brian laying on his stomach faced down on a street in Jenin. Yesterday a year ago my white T-shirt turned red. more

 Mother Jones Smears Rachel Corrie: Specious Journalism in Defense of Killers 
Mother Jones demonstrated how low it could set its standards for investigative journalism when it hired Newsweek reporter Joshua Hammer to surf the web and write a 7000-word feature story on Rachel Corrie and the International Solidarity Movement. more

 The Death of Tom Hurndall 
It is with great sadness that If Americans Knew shares with you the news of the passing away of Tom Hurndall. Tom, 22, had been shot in the head by an Israeli sniper nine months before, while trying to escort several small children to safety in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Occupied Palestine. more

 Rachel’s Letters 
Rachel Corrie in her own words - On the 16th of March, 2003, 23-year-old American human rights worker Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer. She was trying to prevent the Israeli army from destroying the home of a physician and his family in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. In a remarkable series of emails to her family, she explained why she was risking her life. more

 Las Cartas de Raquel en Español 

 Rachel'ın Mektupları 

 Israel, We Won’t Forget Rachel 
Alison Weir in CounterPunch - On March 16th, an Israeli soldier driving a bulldozer two-stories high crushed to death 23-year-old Rachel Corrie, an American nonviolent human rights protestor. According to numerous witnesses and photographic documentation, she was killed intentionally. more