Shock, grief and anger erupted from Jenin, West Bank, in the Palestinian territory and all over the world over the targeted and deliberate killing of Aljazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh (1971-2022) in cold blood by Israeli forces on May 11, 2022. Born and brought up in Jerusalem, Shireen had been reporting the mistreatment of Palestinians by Israeli forces for international television stations, among them Aljazeera, since 1997. The 51-year-old veteran reporter was shot dead by Israeli forces in the head, though she wore a helmet and vest with a ‘Press” inscription boldly and unmistakably written on them. Another Al-Jazeera journalist, Ali Al-Samound, was shot in the back, but he survived the attack to tell the story. To demonstrate the callousness and power-drunkenness of the Israeli forces, they attacked mourners during the funeral for Shireen two days later before she was buried.
The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas said: “We hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the murder and it will not be possible to hide the truth in this crime.” For their part, Shireen’s employers, Aljazeera, said in a statement: “In a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh, targeting her with live fire early this morning, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, while conducting her journalistic duty, clearly wearing a press jacket that identifies her a journalist, covering the Israeli occupation forces storming of Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Al Jazeera Media Network condemns this heinous crime, which intends to only prevent the media from conducting their duty. Al Jazeera holds the Israeli government and the occupation forces responsible for the killing of Shireen. It also calls on the international community to condemn and hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for their intentional targeting and killing of Shireen. The Israeli authorities are also responsible for the targeting of Al Jazeera producer, Ali al-Samudi, who was also shot in the back while covering the same event, and he is currently undergoing treatment.”
Though Palestinians have consistently protested Israeli occupation for a long time, Jenin, West Bank, has stood out for resisting the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). Reporting the constant protests was the life lived by the late Shireen. As a journalist, her reporting was like telling her own life’s story as a young woman who was born and who died using her vocation to oppose Israeli injustice in her homeland.
In spite of the fact that the murder of Shireen by Israeli forces was not in dispute, the Israeli authorities would not accept responsibility for the murder, preferring instead, to play the usual game of defecting blame perfected by its government and security forces. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sought to push the blame for the murder of Shireen back on the Palestinians themselves, an accusation that only serves to mock the dead. The IDF, too, claimed that its soldiers “Will never deliberately target non-combatants. We are committed to the freedom of the press and the sanctity of human lives.” Coming from the IDF, these are hollow claims indeed, but quite in tune with Israeli strategy whenever its atrocities against Palestinians come to light.
But both the Israeli government and its defence forces know only too well that the claim is n’t’ true. As the report of a comprehensive investigation by Amnesty International, published in February this year, shows, the Israeli State and its defence forces routinely engage in “Massive seizures of Palestinian land and property, unlawful killings, forcible transfer, drastic movement restrictions and the denial of nationality and citizenship to Palestinians are all components of a system which amounts to apartheid under international law”.
It is important that Shireen’s death is not in vain and that requires a proper investigation into this criminal act conducted by the international community, not just the Israeli government, to ascertain the officers involved in the murder and punish them in line with international war crimes rules. It is good that the US government, too, has called for an investigation. A statement signed by the White House spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre said, “We strongly condemn the killing of Al Jazeera journalist and American citizen, Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin today and we extend our deepest condolences to her family. We call for a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances of her death. Investigating attacks on independent media and prosecuting those responsible are of paramount importance. We will continue to promote media freedom and protect journalists’ ability to do their jobs without fear of violence, threats to their lives for safety or unjust detention.”
We strongly condemn Shireen’s murder and the Israeli apartheid system that enables it. Journalists are neutral parties in local and international conflicts because their role is to report conflicts. To deliberately target journalists, like the IDF did to Shireen, is a criminal act, which should not be thrown under the carpet. The US, UN and the international community must ensure that Israeli authorities do not escape appropriate sanctions for this brutal murder.
