quinta-feira, 30 de agosto de 2012

Rachel Corrie death: eyewitness attacks Israeli verdict as 'implausible'

8 August 2012, The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk (UK)

Tom Dale, a pro-Palestinian campaigner who witnessed the death of Rachel Corrie, refutes the judgement of an Israeli court that the death of the American activist was "a regrettable accident".

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The decision by an Israeli court that the death of American activist Rachel Corrie in 2003 "was a regrettable accident" for which the state was "not responsible" has been strongly condemned by eyewitness Tom Dale.

Mr Dale, who was working alongside Ms Corrie as part of the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Group, described the judgement as "extremely disappointing", although he says that he was not surprised by the verdict, claiming that is was part of a "general culture of impunity" within the Israeli military forces and the judicial system.

Ms Corrie died after being run over by a Israeli Defence Force (IDF) bulldozer, while protesting against the demolition of a Palestinian house in Gaza. The IDF argued that the driver of the bulldozer was unable to see her - a claim accepted by the court in Haifa - but Mr Dale says this was not the case.

"I am absolutely clear that the bulldozer driver would have been able to see Rachel. It was a clear day, Rachel was standing in open ground, wearing a high-visibility vest and the bulldozer driver moved toward her from 20 or 30 metres away and absolutely would have had a chance to see her as she stood in one place, motionless, in that time".

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