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Rachel Corrie’s (Posthumous) Day in Court
An unusual trial begins in Israel this week, and people around the world will be watching closely. It involves the tragic death of a 23-year-old American student named Rachel Corrie. On March 16, 2003, she was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer.
Corrie was volunteering with the group International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which formed after Israel and the United States rejected a proposal by then-United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson to place international human rights monitors in the occupied territories. The ISM defines itself as "a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles." Israel was building a large steel wall to separate Rafah from Egypt, and was bulldozing homes and gardens to create a "buffer zone." Corrie and seven other ISM activists responded to a call on that March day to protect the home of the Nasrallah family, which was being threatened with demolition by two of the armored Israeli military bulldozers made by the U.S. company Caterpillar.
Cindy Corrie, Rachel's mother, related what happened: "The bulldozer proceeded toward Rachel. ... She was in her orange jacket. When it kept coming, she rose on the mound, and the eyewitnesses testified that her head rose above the top of the blade of the bulldozer, so she could clearly be seen, but the bulldozer continued and proceeded over her, and so that it was covering her body. It stopped and then reversed, according to the eyewitness testimonies, without lifting its blade, so backed over her once again.
"Her friends were screaming at the bulldozer drivers through this to stop. They rushed to her, and she said to them, ‘I think my back is broken.' And those were her final words."
Shortly after Rachel's death, the Corries met with the Bush State Department. It was there that the idea of a civil lawsuit was first presented, by Secretary of State Colin Powell's own chief of staff, Lawrence B. Wilkerson. Craig Corrie, Rachel's father, recalled: "He said: ‘If it was my daughter, I'd sue them. I don't care about money. I wouldn't care about anything. I would sue the state of Israel.' " Ultimately, this is what the Corrie family did.
Just before heading to JFK Airport in New York to attend the trial, Craig Corrie told me about the lawsuit: "We're accusing the state of Israel of either intentionally killing Rachel or of gross negligence in her killing seven years ago." The day after Rachel was killed, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised President George W. Bush a "thorough, credible and transparent investigation." Yet according to a Human Rights Watch report from 2005, Israel's "investigations into Corrie's killing ... fell far short of the transparency, impartiality, and thoroughness required by international law."
The civil trial, Craig Corrie says, is not about the monetary damages, but discovering information, and "like [South African Archbishop] Desmond Tutu talks about, of mending the tear in society." The Corries never speak solely about their daughter, but about the plight of the Palestinians and the Israeli siege of Gaza. According to the latest figures of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, 24,145 houses have been demolished in the occupied territories since 1967, including the 4,247 that the United Nations estimated were destroyed during Operation Cast Lead, the name Israel gave to its military assault on Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009.
Of course, more than houses were destroyed there. More than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed. The Corries also express concern about the psychological toll exacted on Israeli soldiers. Craig Corrie said, "We lost Rachel, and that hurts every day, but that bulldozer driver lost a lot of his humanity when he crushed Rachel."
The trial begins during the same week that Joe Biden makes his first trip to Israel as vice president. As chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden sought answers on the death of Rachel Corrie during the confirmation hearings for U.S. Ambassador to Israel James Cunningham.
Biden knows the pain of losing a daughter. His daughter was killed with his first wife in a car accident in 1972. The Corries are calling on people around the world to stand with them on March 16, the anniversary of Rachel's death, for truth, accountability and justice, "to raise and highlight many of the critical issues to which Rachel's case is linked."
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
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28 Comments so far
Show AllI certainly wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a reasonable or fair outcome from this proceeding. Even if the Israeli courts do the right thing and reveal the truth about the IDFs murderous treachery, they will be ignored by the zionist police state.
And I wouldn't count on any effective participation by Joe "I am a zionist" Biden. I'm sorry that the man lost his wife and daughter; I wouldn't wish such a tragedy on someone whom I hate. However, Biden has certainly shown no courage whatsoever in dealing with Israel.
I really feel for the Corries. I can't imagine the pain of losing such a courageous and exemplary young women.
Joe Corrie demonstrates an amazing level of generosity and self control when he expresses concern about the Israeli soldiers (who have been brainwashed since childhood). I seriously doubt, however, that the bulldozer driver had any humanity to lose.
q
Whitewash, here we come.
What gets missed by MSM is that the 24,000 plus homes demolished by Israel since 1967 is part of their ethnic cleansing policy. Israel defends itself one incident at a time and MSM goes along and doesn't put the activity into context. Rachel was killed as Israel was committing a crime against humanity (bulldozing Palestinian homes).
According to the Haaretz, this trial is supposed to last a couple weeks but the results won't be made final for another year. In addition to Israel not allowing all witnesses to appear, according to Corrie's family, the video of the activity has been deleted by the Israelis.
I doubt US MSM will pay much attention to this, as usual.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155500.html
The court in the Rachel Corrie case, will be a kangaroo court, just like the 911 so called commission was. By the way Amy, why no coverage of the truther movement meeting in Pennsylvania? Even ABC News was there! There seems to be a blackout of this movement that has hundreds of engineers and architects, not to mention many other intellectuals who verify nano-thermite. 911 was definately an inside job, but by whom, that still needs to be investigated, but the US media seems to be in a panic mode when it comes to any kind of reporting or coverage and that seems to include you Amy.
Ah, the first troll sighting.
This article has nothing to do with the truther movement or 9/11, dumbass.
q
Sorry, but 9/11 is relevant. State criminality, when passively sanctioned anywhere, is sanctioned everywhere. And to all unbiased observers, notice from which side of the argument the vitriol proceeds, then ask yourself which side is behaving like fanatics.
State criminality may be "relevant" but only at a very general level. Amy's article is about a specific crime commmitted by a specific nation and the surviving victims of that crime.
If you want to take this discussion to the level of state criminality then why not have a review of the history of western civilization? Do you really think that the US and Israel are the only nations who have indulged in such activity?
PR is not trying to broaden or extend the discussion. He's just trying to disparage Goodman.
q
Quickstepper
I think that your attempt to label Paul Revere a "troll" because he has dared to question why Amy Goodman has refused to cover a meeting in Pa. which involved the 9/11 truth movement is way off base. The irony, as PR pointed out, is that a mainstream outlet like ABC News saw fit to cover that meeting while an organization that is known for questioning authority like Democracy Now! failed to cover the event. This is what the government is counting on and that is that leftist organizations like Democracy Now! will continue to ignore a seminal event like 9/11/01 apparrently because they are in mortal fear that they will be labeled "conspiracy theorists" [as opposed to the official government story as to what occurred on that day]. So much for the idea, as Howard Zinn once observed, that dissent is the higest form of patriotism.
So Democracy Now did not cover one meeting in one place and that makes them passive collaborators in a cover up?
I know that Democracy Now has covered the ISSUE of the truth of 9/11 because I listened to the radio broadcasts.
Your logic is strained, to say the least. Whether or not Goodman covered that one event has nothing to do with this article or with her integrity.
PR is a troll.
q
Quickstepper
It is your logic that I find to be strained. As much as I admire Democracy Now! [which is a good deal] the truth of the matter is that while Ms. Goodman has mentioned the topic of 9/11 in the past, she rarely has seen fit to have on her program such as people as David Ray Griffin and Barrie Zwicker, as those two individuals, among others, could easily puncture holes in the official government conspiracy theory as to what had occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. It then should become evident that it is not an isolated incident of an 9/11 meeting but what would seem to be a deliberate attempt to play down, if not totally avoid, any coverage of any events that might challenge the events of 9/11/01.
The irony is that while she has focused [justifiably] on Israel's falsehoods and prevarications regarding how Rachel Corrie died, she seems less inclined to air the views of those who cast doubt on one of the biggest disasters here in this country.
I don't care if she has never had these guys on her show. The fact that she has not covered 9/11 conspiracy theories as much as you would like is totally, absolutely, and completely irrelevant to this article.
" . . . she rarely has seen fit to have on her program . . . ."
So she has had them on her program but just not often enough to suit you. I would like to see some evidence to back up your assertion that she has not had folks like these on her show more often because she fears what they might say. It appears to me that you are ascribing your own suspicions to Goodman for something that you think that she's doing - or not doing.
She had David Avery on DN and his work had been thoroughly criticized.
Therefore your complaint is little more than a whine.
So tell me, how often would Goodman have to interview these folks on her show to satisfy you?
"It then should become evident that it is not an isolated incident of an 9/11 meeting but what would seem to be a deliberate attempt to play down, if not totally avoid, any coverage of any events that might challenge the events of 9/11/01."
It is evident only to you and anyone else looking to cast aspersions on Amy Goodman as a journalist. I see no deliberation at all.
You simply have no case to make here. Democracy Now, like most news programs, tends to deal with events of immediate currency. It is not "9/11 All Day Every Day."
The fact that Goodman has not given this issue the attention which you would like means nothing.
There is no irony. There's only a pathetic attempt to distract from an excellent article.
q
I cannot see how forming a circular firing line over one Goodman article is going to make any difference. If we had more Corries and less trifling, we might actually change things.
Really? More people placing themselves singlely in front of bulldozers and getting killed/maimed to make their points is really gonna change things? Oh no, I don't think so.
Disparage Amy Goodman? I love her and have sent her $ and supported her for around 10 years! I was only asking a question.
Of course you were - a completely irrelevant question.
Crawl back under the bridge. Some billy goats are coming.
q
Paul Revere
Unfortunately, one has to realize that if anyone dares to raise any questions regarding the Official Fairy Tale of 9/11/01 then one is automatically given that puerile title of "troll." Mr. quickstepper complains that if Ms. Goodman gives too much coverage [and just what exactly would be too much coverage of one of the biggest catastrrophes in United States history?] then it would be "9/11 all day, every day." Ms. Goodman has stories on a frequent basis concerning the occupations of Afghanistan, Iraq and the bombings of civilians in Pakistan and Yemen. Should those stories be considered excessive? I think not. But yet for some bizarre reason he believes that finding out the truth about what happened on Sept. 11, 2001 is to be considered a heinous act. Again, I think not. This is also where left gatekeepers like Mr. quickstepper prove themselves no better than the neoconservatives, who would like nothing better than to keep this story forever buried from those who have the audacity to challenge the veracity of the Bush administration vis a vis 9/11/01.
As international law scholar Richard Falk has pointed out, if one simply looks at 9/11 with just 30 percent of an open mind, then one must come away with the obvious realization that the government is not telling the truth about what happened on that day. Unfortunately it would appear that quickstepper is unable or unwilling to do just that. One should also realize that it is probably futile to attempt to converse with quickstepper in any kind of cogent manner regarding this subject. As Henry Fonda said in the classic film Twelve Angry Men:
"He can't hear you. He never will."
Nicely stated Erroll. If one does not think 911 was an inside job; then he is either brainwashed, close minded and afraid to research the facts; or just has not been paying attention. The mind works like a parachute; it only works when it is open. But having stated that, I have to admit it was painful to think that around 3000 of our American citizens would be murdered in a false flag attack and so I can understand the people in denial who just cannot bring themselves to believe the U.S. Government would somehow be complict in such an extraordinary, evil, nefarious and punic act against its own citizens, because it was so hard for me to believe it.
Ms Corrie will be treated the same way as the USS Liberty crew who were murdered by israhell; a little compensation for the families and more brutality and arrogance for israhell.
a very little compensation paid for with the victim's own tax dollars. We lost America long ago.
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
Awaiting the Second Revolution...
End all U.S. weapons and monetary aid to the barbaric land thieving war criminals in Israel now!
And BTW to the U.S. government as well which is an even greater war criminal in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Certainly I am not singling out Israel just posting that about Israel since it is the subject of the article.
This is another outstanding article by Amy Goodman. Keep up the good work!
AD
Israel and its associated lawyers have longtime experience dodging culpability for outright crimes, and unfortunately it will prove to be the case again here. That being said, Rachel Corrie's awful demise still stands out as one of the most stirring examples of injustice that has come about recently. Alas, it took an American to bring it into focus, but I still see Corrie's death as inarguable evidence of the seething hostility and hatred maintained by some Israelis.
One thing that continues to burn me up is the thousands of Christian congregations-- not counting fundamentalists, mind you-- who maintain programs that support and glorify Israel. I don't attend church myself, but I had occasion to walk inside one place that boasted a fairly 'liberal' membership only to find a poster celebrating the holy land. I am certain that most of its worshippers have no idea what has been going on in Palestine. These are people who've conscientiously resisted learning about and analyzing such a problematic conflict, and are content to let their clerical leaders make judgments for them.
If more people were to actively broadcast and distribute the account of Rachel Corrie (including lengthy excerpts from her diary), I believe that mainstream opinion could be influenced as crucially as any overwrought cinematic Holocaust depiction has been.
I went to see the play, My Name Is Rachel Corrie, at the Minetta Lane Theater here in NYC in October of 2006. I found Rachel's words from her diary to be very moving and powerful. Therefore, I agree with the conclusion of your post!
Here in NYC, one theater that was planning to stage the play backed out, and that's when the Minetta Lane Theater took on the play which was very controversial in some circles as you might imagine.
This morning, Amy Goodman interviewed Rachel's parents and her sister. If you haven't seen the interview, you can go to www.democracynow.org.
The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/09/wang-cuyun-chinese-grandm_n_492103.html
Very good extended interview on this at Democracy now. I learned several details of the incident that were new to me.
Rachel Corrie and IDF Codes of Conduct against militants and Palestinian civilians
1. Military action can be taken only against military targets.
2. The use of force must be proportional.
3. Soldiers may only use weaponry they were issued by the IDF.
4. Anyone who surrenders cannot be attacked.
5. Only those who are properly trained can interrogate prisoners.
6. Soldiers must accord dignity and respect to the Palestinian population and those arrested.
7. Soldiers must give appropriate medical care, when conditions allow, to themselves and to enemies.
8. Pillaging is absolutely and totally illegal.
9. Soldiers must show proper respect for religious and cultural sites and artifacts.
10. Soldiers must protect international aid workers, including their property and vehicles.
11. Soldiers must report all violations of this code.
All 11 Codes of Military Conduct (with the exception only of No.8) were apparently deliberately violated by the Israeli forces in December 2008 and January 2009 in their attack against the civilian population of Gaza.
Yet no action is known to have been taken against the men and commanders responsible for the reported violations that resulted in the alleged killings of 320 children and 112 women that were committed over the six week attack.
If the Israeli government and its military commanders cannot control the actions of their forces, then not only are the Palestinians (and the Lebanese) at further risk of death and destruction but also all of Israel’s neighbours and the wider world.
The only thing missing is that the IDF shouldn't be on the Palestinian land to start with. The occupation is illegal.