Palestine remembers Shireen Abu Akleh amid calls for justice
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On May 11, Abu Akleh, a senior correspondent known throughout the Arab world, was murdered in cold blood while covering an Israeli occupation invasion into Jenin.
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Shireen Abu Akleh, a senior Palestinian correspondent known throughout the Arab world
A year after an Israeli bullet killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, Palestine mourned her as friends and colleagues renewed calls for justice on the first anniversary of her killing, amid a week of memorials and events commemorating her life.
On May 11, Abu Akleh, a senior correspondent known throughout the Arab world, was murdered in cold blood while covering an Israeli occupation raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
Scenes of violence at the reporter's funeral in Al-Quds added to the global rage over her killing. When large crowds of Palestinians started walking toward the gates of the hospital, Israeli police officers burst through the courtyard gates and charged at the crowd, ostensibly to prevent them from moving the coffin by car. Some beat and kicked pallbearers with batons.
Watch | The Israeli occupation brutally assaults the crowds at #ShireenAbuAkleh's funeral.#Palestine pic.twitter.com/TKTfwgLBLk
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 13, 2022
The bloody murder of Shireen Abu Akleh has incited international responses from Arab and Western countries, as well as organizations and committees, calling for a quick investigation into the cold-blooded crime.
Back in September, the Israeli occupation forces admitted for the first time that there is a “high possibility” Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin in May.
Since then, international efforts failed to hold Israeli occupation forces accountable. However, hundreds of people gathered to memorialize a remarkable trailblazer and her legacy at a performance in Ramallah earlier this week.
“Years of seeing justice not being served for Palestinians tells me we shouldn’t expect much [from officials]. But if we focus on whatever silver lining there is, I’d never seen anything like the turnout at her funeral … It showed how loved and respected she was,” said Dalia Hatuqa, Abu Akleh’s friend and former colleague said, as quoted by the Guardian.
“Shireen has inspired a whole generation of young women and men who admire her and her work and want to follow in her footsteps,” she added.
“During this year, we passed through many phases and challenges in order to try and achieve the justice for Shireen that so many have been waiting for,” Tony Abu Akleh, Shireen’s brother, said while addressing the crowd.
“Not merely justice for the assassination of Shireen, but for the assassination of every Palestinian at the hands of the brutal occupation, that is unfortunately accustomed to this kind of arrogance without accountability,” he added.
A raft of universities have honored her with awards and scholarships in Abu Akleh’s name, a street in Ramallah has been called after her, and a media museum is scheduled to open in the city in 2025.
For Palestinians, and much of the rest of the world, it is clear that "Israel" bears responsibility for Abu Akleh’s death. Several journalistic investigations, as well as a UN probe, have concluded that Israeli forces were behind the murder of the well-known journalist. Some findings imply the small group of journalists she was with were purposefully targeted, even though they were wearing helmets and safety vests plainly marked “Press”.
On May 11, 2022, Israeli occupation forces shot dead #Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while she was covering an Israeli raid in the occupied #WestBank town of #Jenin. #Palestine #ShireenAbuAkleh pic.twitter.com/6oKH4oSxQU
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 11, 2023
Not an isolated incident: A new report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) published this week to coincide with the anniversary of Abu Akleh’s death, found that "Israel" has never charged or declared any soldier accountable for the killings of at least 20 journalists, 18 of whom were Palestinian, since 2001.
“Israeli officials discount evidence and witness claims, often appearing to clear soldiers for the killings while inquiries are still in progress … When probes do take place, the Israeli military often takes months or years to investigate killings, and families of the mostly Palestinian journalists have little recourse inside Israel to pursue justice,” the report said.
The anniversary of Shireen's killing comes as "Israel" launches yet another brutal aggression on Gaza, killing 25 most of whom are women and children amid an already escalation of daily violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds.
