Rachel Corrie's Death is Not Merely "Regrettable Accident"

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Rachel Corrie's Death is Not Merely "Regrettable Accident"

August 28, 2012

Independent Jewish Voices - Canada rejects Haifa District Court's decision to remove any blame from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) or the Israeli driver of the military bulldozer that killed 23-year old Rachel Corrie nearly a decade ago. In a decision issued today, Judge Oded Gershon called her death a 'regrettable accident.'

In April, 2003, Corrie, an American peace activist from Washington State, stood in front of the house of a local pharmacist in Rafah, Gaza. Dressed in a bright orange security vest, she and other members of the International Solidarity Movement peacefully stood in front of the home to prevent its demolition.

In what appeared on video to be a deliberate move, an unidentified IDF bulldozer driver drove the huge machine so close to her that she toppled over the mound of earth on which she stood. As a result, she fell into the bulldozer's path and died.

Corrie's parents and family have led a ten year battle to find out what really happened to their daughter and who was to blame for her death. Today outside the court Rachel's mother, Cindy Corrie, told reporters, "From the beginning it was clear that there is a system to protect soldiers and provide them with impunity at the cost of civilians. Now we find that the protection for soldiers extends to the court."

"IJV-Canada, along with thousands of social justice supporters all over the world, stand with the Corrie family. Israel's whitewash of Rachel Corrie's death signals that it will continue to be 'business as usual' on the part of Israel in its military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank," says Judy Haiven, spokeswoman for IJV-Canada, speaking from Halifax.

"Israel's illegal and brutal occupation of Palestinian lands continues in this its 45th year. IJV-Canada sympathises with the Corries and pledges to continue to fight for Palestinian human rights and an end to the Occupation," Haiven concluded.

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Independent Jewish Voices-Canada is a Canadian human rights organization whose mandate is to promote the just resolution to the conflict in Israel and Palestine through the application of international law and respect for human rights for all parties.

For more information contact:
Dr. Judy
Haiven
Independent Jewish Voices
Phone: 902-718-7445 (cell)
Cell: (902) 718-7445 (cell)
Email: jhaiven@smu.ca
Website: www.independentjewishvoices.ca

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