Mother's plea for justice for her slaughtered son

[Scurrilous]

This week Tom Hurndall's mother will testify at the inquest into the death of her son, shot by an Israeli soldier in Gaza. She wants the truth to be told - and asks why, when her son was helping children avoid gunfire, he was left fatally wounded. Mark Townsend reports

<snip>

"Sometime this afternoon, Jocelyn Hurndall will pick up the phone to Israel. For an hour or so, the mother-of-two will receive her final briefing into the topic that has dominated her life for the past three years: who was behind the order to shoot her son.

Tomorrow the quietly spoken former teacher will be the first witness at the high-profile inquest into the death of Tom Hurndall, 22, the British student shot in the head as he shepherded Palestinian children to safety.

Beneath the gaze of the world's media, Jocelyn will tell coroner Andrew Reid, at St Pancras Coroners' Court, how the Israeli authorities tampered with evidence, suppressed investigations and attempted to cover up the shooting.

For Jocelyn, it offers a chance to try to explain an unprovoked killing which has been condemned by the international community. For the Israeli authorities, damaging headlines lie ahead, as its army's chain of command is dragged into the controversy surrounding the killing, among them senior officers wanted by British authorities for war crimes."


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[madrchsod]

1. it`s from the guardian

you can`t trust them to report fair and balanced now can we? ~~~~sarcasm~~~~

[Englander]

2. The Thomas Hurndall Fund;

http://www.tomhurndall.co.uk/

[Scurrilous]

3. Israel to boycott inquest into death of British peace activist

Full title: Israel to boycott inquest into death of British peace activist shot in Gaza

· Soldier fired as he tried to lead children to safety
· Mother criticises lack of Israeli cooperation

<snip>

"Israel will boycott an inquest opening today in London which will investigate the death of a British peace activist shot dead in broad daylight by an Israeli soldier.

Tom Hurndall, 22, died after being shot in Rafah, Gaza, while trying to lead Palestinian children to safety after the soldier opened fire from a nearby observation tower in April 2003.

His mother, Jocelyn, told the Guardian she is angry Israel is not cooperating as she still has many questions about how her son came to be shot: "We are hoping the coroner will address the culture of impunity in which the soldier was functioning and the enormous lack of cooperation we have experienced from the Israelis."

Mrs Hurndall said that only when the family went to Israel and for seven weeks pressured the authorities and raised the case in the media did any sort of investigation begin.

Her solicitor, Imran Khan, said Israel's boycott of the inquest is disrespectful: "It shows their disdain for the whole process."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1750623,00.html

[Tom Joad]

4. Are Palestinians childeren of a lesser god? J. Hurdall's question...

Prime Minister Blair, the bush/sharon supporter, and corrupt head of the British govt., never condemned the killing of a British citizen, never raised concerns about the killing of Palestinians, but only voiced concerns when Israeli citizens were killed.

This is what Jocelyn wrote.
So I have questions to ask of Tony Blair. Does he regard the children of Palestine as children of a lesser god? Does he accept that such inaction is tantamount to complicity in the process of destroying any peace initiative in the Middle East? Mr Blair, you know now that an Israeli soldier has confessed to shooting in cold blood an unarmed British citizen who was trying to shepherd children away to safety. When will you be ready to openly condemn these actions?