Israel to probe UK activist shooting

[Resistance]

Should the killers investigate themselves?

Reuters UK

LONDON (Reuters) - The Israeli army has launched an inquiry into the shooting of a British peace activist who lies clinically dead in a London hospital after being shot by troops in the Gaza Strip.

An Israeli embassy spokeswoman told Reuters the inquiry will be headed by Israel's military controller general, Major General Menachem Finkelstein, and will be completed as quickly as possible, although it could take months.

The news met with a lukewarm response from Tom Hurndall's family, who believe he was shot deliberately and are seeking prosecution of the soldier involved.

Hurndall, 21, was shot in the head by Israeli forces on April 11 while acting for the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which positions activists as human shields around the West Bank and Gaza.

His parents say he was helping Palestinian children cross a street in the town of Rafah near the border with Egypt and was clearly identifiable as an unarmed peace activist by his bright orange jacket.

[tinnypriv]

1. According to ISM, the Israeli military hospital intially said:

He was hit with a baseball bat.

I'm serious.

[Darranar]

2. LOL...

so what's this probe going to come up with?

"This regrettable accident occured because he stepped into a fierce baseball game between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We extend our condolences to his family."

Translated: We know that he was deliberately killed in cold blood by an IDf soldier, but we don't care so we'll spin it any way we can.

[Resistance]

3. Maybe

The neighborhood where the IDF killer lives should be blown up?

[Darranar]

4. That would be "terrorism"...

because it's resistance to US and Israeli interests.

DuctapeFatwa is sounding more reasonable every day...

[Gimel]

15. A mistranslation

The words "baseball game" is an American interpretation of Hebrew. The game baseball is not played in Israel and a baseball bat is not a common term. The "ball" probably was translted from the word bullet.

[Darranar]

16. What you're saying makes sense...

it's certainly possible ISM mistranslated. It simply was funny.

[tinnypriv]

19. Damn straight

You guys play football, like a proper country.

No Euro 2004 for you though ;-)

[The Magistrate]

20. Baseball Has Its Points, Sir

At least one of which has some application here: in theory, a game could stretch on forever....

[Herschel]

5. I sincerely hope

this is not another Rachel Corrie fable brewing. Oh, my.

[Darranar]

6. "Fable"?

There is no real evidence either way - because Israel, that "beacon of democracy," won't allow an investigation from a real third party.

[Resistance]

7. Do four eyewitnesses

(who all say that Rachel's killing was intentional) count as evidence?

[Darranar]

10. Sorry about missing that little fact...

you're right, but all it does is shift my position from "innocent" (because that is the only fair presumption) to "not sure," because as The Magistrate has pointed out repeatedly, the perspective of bystanders (especially biased ones) watching a bulldozer and the perspective of the driver of that bulldozer are very different.

[Resistance]

12. I would add

I think the fact that the U.S. covered up the story for Israel is more evidence to be considered.

[Gimel]

17. Original statements

Even the origional IMS statements do not convey that. Any statement they make today is rehashed to comply with IMS official position in the controversy. They are biased, in other words. They can and did give testimoney, but they are not the judges. Intent is not something that is easily witnessed.

[Herschel]

8. I can tell you

without investigating that standing in the path of a bulldozer is dangerous. I suspect the Corrie woman knew this as well.

[Resistance]

9. bulldozing people's homes is wrong

Something that "the Corrie woman" knew better than any of us.

[Darranar]

11. So?

Rachel Corrie was a brave woman, willing to stand up to the Israeli occupation for the good of the innocent Palestinians.

That fact doesn't change anything.

[Forkboy]

13. It's easier to demonize people

if you can paint them as stupid.

[Herschel]

23. She doomed herself

I believe she understood this.

[Darranar]

25. No she didn't!

The chance of a careful driver hitting and killing a woman doing what she did is low, very low.

[Herschel]

26. Did she understand

standing in front of a bulldozer was dangerous? I think you know the answer.

[Darranar]

27. Of course she did...

and I understand that crossing the street is dangerous. That doesn't make it my fault when someone slams into me and kills me.

[Forkboy]

28. Would you be willing to do something dangerous

while standing for your beliefs?

[Herschel]

29. Perhaps

Yet I would not expect people to cry murder if I sacrificed myself.

[Forkboy]

30. Doing something dangerous

and "sacrificing yourself" are two very different concepts.

[The Magistrate]

18. On The Basis Of Reports Of The Incident, Mr. Herschel

Young Mr. Hurndall displayed commendable bravery and spirit of self-sacrifice. He exposed himself to gun-fire in order to protect children from injury by flying bullets. This action deserves only praise, whatever one feels concerning his views.

It does not seem likely to me that any investigation will be able to reach a definitive conclusion in this matter that he was shot deliberately. That could, to put it bluntly, be done only should the soldier who fired the round step forward and declare he meant to shoot him and knew he was an I.S.M. member.

It is probably not even known precisely who that soldier was, though it should be possible to narrow it down to a small number of men.

It does not seem to me that too much can be inferred from the bullet striking the head. Given a moving target and a man under stress pulling the trigger, there must be a degree of randomness to where the bullet flies.

[Herschel]

22. We will agree

it is unlikely this will br determined deliberate. Yet I sense there will be no shortage of fantasies offered.

[The Magistrate]

24. It Is My Hope, Sir

We might agree as well on the moral worth of the young man's courageous act: that is worth recognizing whether or not his views are congenial or otherwise.

[Herschel]

31. It appeared the issue

was wrongdoing by the IDF. I see no evidence of it.

[Darranar]

32. Do you or do you not agree...

that what Tom Hurndall did was both courageous and admirable, regardless of his political views?

[beanball]

14. Our(this country's,not mine)

support of that evil Sharon and his hateful actions will come back to haunt this country.

[Resistance]

21. Tom Hurndall's mother spoke with BBC

(you really have to dig to find this stuff - the major mass-media, particularly in the States, totally ignores the peace activists who are being shot and/or murdered by Israel)

http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2102358

Campaigner’s Mother: No Faith in Shooting Inquiry

The mother of a British peace campaigner shot by troops in the Gaza strip today said she had no faith in an Israeli investigation into the incident.

“I have no faith in it being an independent, impartial investigation given the history of police inquiries into Israeli defence forces,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

She said she wanted the soldier who had shot her son to be prosecuted.

Mrs Hurndall and her husband Anthony have been campaigning for an inquiry and met Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in June to call for the soldier who shot him to be prosecuted.