Activists take part in a candlelight vigil outside the U.N.'s Economic and Social Commission for West Asia building in Beirut to denounce the killing of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. (Photo: Marwan Naamani/picture alliance via Getty Images)
'We Were Expecting This,' Says Family After Israel Says No Criminal Probe Into Killing of Shireen Abu Akleh
The development came as leading international artists called for "meaningful measures to ensure accountability for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and all other Palestinian civilians."
Israel will not pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose death earlier this month sparked global outrage.
The development was reported Thursday by both Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.
"No one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians."
Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine, was fatally shot in the head on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. She was wearing a helmet and press jacket. Witnesses say she was shot by an Israeli soldier.
"In view of the nature of the operational activity, which included intense fighting and extensive exchanges of fire, it was decided that there was no need to open a military police investigation at this stage," according to a statement from the military provided to the Jerusalem Post.
Israel-based human rights organization B'Tselem suggested the announcement from the military police criminal investigation division should come as no surprise.
"As B'Tselem has stated again and again: no one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians," the group tweeted. "It is time for the world to finally wake up to this reality and take action. Anything else simply enables Israel's impunity."
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh's family said, "We were expecting this from the Israeli side."
"We urge the United States in particular--since she is a U.S. citizen--and the international community to open a just and transparent investigation and to put an end to the killings," the family said.
The Intercept reported this week that a pair of congressional Democrats, Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana and Lou Correa of California, are gathering signatures for a letter demanding an FBI investigation into Abu Akleh's killing and a determination from the State Department as to whether U.S. laws were violated.
Days after Abu Akleh's death, global outrage erupted after footage showed Israeli fores attacking the pallbearers of her coffin during the funeral procession.
The footage of that violence was "shocking," said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who called for "accountability for the terrible killing not just of Shireen Abu Akleh but for all the killings and serious injuries in the occupied Palestinian territory."
A group of leading artists similarly called Thursday for "full accountability for the perpetrators" of Abu Akelh's death "and everyone involved in authorizing it."
In an open letter, figures including Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, Indian author Arundhati Roy, Canadian author Naomi Klein, and U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo write: "We call on our governments to end their hypocrisy and to act with consistency in the application of international law and human rights. We call on them to take meaningful measures to ensure accountability for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and all other Palestinian civilians."
"There must be no double standards," they add, "when it comes to the basic human right to freedom from persecution and oppression and the right to life and to dignity."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Israel will not pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose death earlier this month sparked global outrage.
The development was reported Thursday by both Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.
"No one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians."
Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine, was fatally shot in the head on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. She was wearing a helmet and press jacket. Witnesses say she was shot by an Israeli soldier.
"In view of the nature of the operational activity, which included intense fighting and extensive exchanges of fire, it was decided that there was no need to open a military police investigation at this stage," according to a statement from the military provided to the Jerusalem Post.
Israel-based human rights organization B'Tselem suggested the announcement from the military police criminal investigation division should come as no surprise.
"As B'Tselem has stated again and again: no one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians," the group tweeted. "It is time for the world to finally wake up to this reality and take action. Anything else simply enables Israel's impunity."
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh's family said, "We were expecting this from the Israeli side."
"We urge the United States in particular--since she is a U.S. citizen--and the international community to open a just and transparent investigation and to put an end to the killings," the family said.
The Intercept reported this week that a pair of congressional Democrats, Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana and Lou Correa of California, are gathering signatures for a letter demanding an FBI investigation into Abu Akleh's killing and a determination from the State Department as to whether U.S. laws were violated.
Days after Abu Akleh's death, global outrage erupted after footage showed Israeli fores attacking the pallbearers of her coffin during the funeral procession.
The footage of that violence was "shocking," said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who called for "accountability for the terrible killing not just of Shireen Abu Akleh but for all the killings and serious injuries in the occupied Palestinian territory."
A group of leading artists similarly called Thursday for "full accountability for the perpetrators" of Abu Akelh's death "and everyone involved in authorizing it."
In an open letter, figures including Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, Indian author Arundhati Roy, Canadian author Naomi Klein, and U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo write: "We call on our governments to end their hypocrisy and to act with consistency in the application of international law and human rights. We call on them to take meaningful measures to ensure accountability for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and all other Palestinian civilians."
"There must be no double standards," they add, "when it comes to the basic human right to freedom from persecution and oppression and the right to life and to dignity."
Israel will not pursue a criminal investigation into the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, whose death earlier this month sparked global outrage.
The development was reported Thursday by both Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.
"No one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians."
Abu Akleh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine, was fatally shot in the head on May 11 while covering an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. She was wearing a helmet and press jacket. Witnesses say she was shot by an Israeli soldier.
"In view of the nature of the operational activity, which included intense fighting and extensive exchanges of fire, it was decided that there was no need to open a military police investigation at this stage," according to a statement from the military provided to the Jerusalem Post.
Israel-based human rights organization B'Tselem suggested the announcement from the military police criminal investigation division should come as no surprise.
"As B'Tselem has stated again and again: no one should wait for Israel's 'investigations' nor expect that they will deliver justice for Palestinians," the group tweeted. "It is time for the world to finally wake up to this reality and take action. Anything else simply enables Israel's impunity."
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh's family said, "We were expecting this from the Israeli side."
"We urge the United States in particular--since she is a U.S. citizen--and the international community to open a just and transparent investigation and to put an end to the killings," the family said.
The Intercept reported this week that a pair of congressional Democrats, Reps. Andre Carson of Indiana and Lou Correa of California, are gathering signatures for a letter demanding an FBI investigation into Abu Akleh's killing and a determination from the State Department as to whether U.S. laws were violated.
Days after Abu Akleh's death, global outrage erupted after footage showed Israeli fores attacking the pallbearers of her coffin during the funeral procession.
The footage of that violence was "shocking," said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who called for "accountability for the terrible killing not just of Shireen Abu Akleh but for all the killings and serious injuries in the occupied Palestinian territory."
A group of leading artists similarly called Thursday for "full accountability for the perpetrators" of Abu Akelh's death "and everyone involved in authorizing it."
In an open letter, figures including Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, Indian author Arundhati Roy, Canadian author Naomi Klein, and U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo write: "We call on our governments to end their hypocrisy and to act with consistency in the application of international law and human rights. We call on them to take meaningful measures to ensure accountability for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and all other Palestinian civilians."
"There must be no double standards," they add, "when it comes to the basic human right to freedom from persecution and oppression and the right to life and to dignity."