Ziad Jilani, killed by Israeli police last summer, with his daughters.
Emily Henochowicz, Tristan Anderson, Furkan Dogan, Brian Avery, Rachel Corrie and more–all American citizens killed or severely injured by Israel with no justice served and barely a peep heard from U.S. authorities. Now, add Ziad Jilani, who was a permanent resident of the U.S. and whose family holds U.S. citizenship, to that list.
Last summer, Jilani was executed at close range by Israeli Border Police in East Jerusalem. Haaretz reports today that the investigation into the death is closed.
Amira Hass of Haaretz reported in the summer of 2010 that:
A motorist from East Jerusalem who ran over and wounded several Border Police officers Friday was shot twice in the face from close range while still lying on the ground, eyewitnesses said. Neighborhood witnesses said the fatal shots were fired once the officers no longer had reason to fear that their lives were in danger, and could have easily arrested the suspect.
Witnesses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Joz told Haaretz that the motorist, Ziad Jilani, suddenly swerved his car and hit the group of officers walking further up the road. They said, however, that they believed the collision was an accident, and not committed intentionally as initially reported.
Hass and Yaniv Kubovich have the report on the Israeli Justice Ministry closing the case:
The widow of a motorist who was shot to death by police in East Jerusalem in June learned yesterday from her lawyer that the Justice Ministry closed its investigation into the case. In a conversation with Haaretz Moira Jilani, a U.S. citizen, expressed shock over the closure of the investigation.
In the aftermath of Jilani’s death, Richard Silverstein wrote on the U.S. Consulate offering little help to the Jilani family:
Jilani’s widow is an American citizen. As such, she is entitled to the services of the U.S. consulate in East Jerusalem. Alas, the consulate’s response has been lackadaisical and sullen at best. After an inquiry from Jilani’s sister, a U.S. citizen living in California, Congressman Brian Bilbray wrote to the consulate. The response by Consul Debra Towry was typical CYA bulls(&t. She claimed falsely that a list of attorneys was offered to the family. The truth is that the family was forced to hire its own attorney with no help whatsoever, and certainly no list proffered, from the consulate. The consul noted in her letter to Bilbray that a consular representative attended the first legal hearing into Jilani’s death. This is true. But they only did so after the widow begged them to do so.
This is a pattern with Israel, and the U.S. doesn’t do nearly enough to push for justice for its own people. Henochowicz’s case has been closed. The Obama administration didn’t touch the case of Dogan, the Turkish-American who was murdered on the Mavi Marmara. The Corrie family is still bravely seeking justice. And Israel remains the U.S.’ bedrock “ally.”
Alex Kane is a freelance journalist and blogger based in New York City. He blogs at alexbkane.wordpress.com, where this post originally appeared. Follow him on Twitter @alexbkane.
>> Emily Henochowicz, Tristan Anderson, Furkan Dogan, Brian Avnery, Rachel Corrie and more–all American citizens killed or severely injured by Israel with no justice served and barely a peep heard from U.S. authorities. Now, add Ziad Jilani, who was a permanent resident of the U.S. and whose family holds U.S. citizenship, to that list.
Unless I’m mistaken, these people were killed or injured in the past so, unless they’re survivors or victims of the Holocaust, it’s time to look to the future and create new narratives and maybe even “better wheels”.
Oh, and did you know that the IDF is “the most moral army in the world”?
“This is a pattern with Israel,” and our MSM as well as some so called progressive blogs
If Iran had murdered so many US citizens, the US would have gone to war.
exactly, and moreso, Potsherd2 — if it’s Iran, no holds barred:
US has seized and/or frozen billions of dollars of Iranian assets — including assets the US promised to release in the Algiers Accord, but has not.
What would happen if US seized the building AIPAC built on K Street, or a major synagogue or Hillel center? Fit would hit the shan.
This is sickening that American nationals and residents are being failed by this government.
As an American, I voted in 2008 for Obama and his party, in the hope that maybe he could bring some sense of sanity to America’s role in connection with the oppression of the Palestinians. Since then, he’s done nothing but continue on the same, old, evil and broken path. His disregard for the interests of Americans in dealing with this foreign government, supporting its repeated pattern of brutality, is repulsive and reprehensible.
I voted for this man in 2008. I won’t make that mistake again.
gotcha, Woody: So you won’t vote for Obama again, “won’t make that mistake.”
Who ya gonna vote for? Romney? Gingrich? Palin?
David “Axis of Evil” Frum has formed a very clever organization, “NoLabels,” to promote “civility” between the major parties.
My guess is that NoLabels is a gambit to neutralize Ron Paul, whose independence, opposition to Federal Reserve system, and neutral-to-not-friendly stance toward Israel is gathering steam among disaffected voters.
when my tinfoil hat is too tight, I hear signals that whisper that NoLabels is somehow involved in at least the orchestrated diversion campaign that went into gear immediately after Jared Loughner did what he did. Warhawks in US government have a powerful interest in forcing ‘civility’ down the throats of restive Americans — in other words, they are getting afraid of a revolutionary spirit abroad among the people, and stepped out in front of it to divert it: “Let’s all get along.” “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.”
Frum is all sweetness and civility UNTIL the topic is Iran: then the gloves are off.
Frum has an interest in making sure independents are neutralized: the Israel lobby already has control of Democratic party, and Republicans are even more warlike than Dems. But an anti-war ‘nut’ like Ron Paul can spoil the whole game. Solution: neutralize the center by homogenizing the extremes.
so you’re not going to “make that mistake again.” What are your other options?
I don’t know if I will vote, or maybe I’ll vote third party. Or, who knows, maybe Obama will grow a pair in the next 18 months.
“No Labels” from the man who gave us “The Axis Of Evil?” What a frum joke in frumless Amerika.
I voted for Obama for the same reason, Woody; it won’t happen again here either–problem it does not make any difference at all since both parties genuflect to AIPAC–it’s all been downhill for Americans since their government decided to take orders from Israel Firsters–Johnson didn’t give a crap about the crew of the USS Liberty, and neither did Congress, which did not even perform the usual investigation into such incidents–the single exception in our history. And Potsherd2′s point is well taken–imagine if Iran did it.
There needs to be a None Of The Above movement in this country.
Brian Avery, not Brian Avnery. Also – Furkan Doğan, not Dogan.
Sounds like a Palestine first vote to me. If someone used your same reasoning while replacing Palestinian with Israeli, the commenters here would be screaming bloody murder.
It’s an America-first issue with me. I would feel the same regardless of who the foreign government was.
Americans need to be able to count on the American government to use the power which we, as taxpayers, have created. If it won’t come down hard on some client state who is messing with Americans and their families, then it has failed its primary function.
The lack of US (our government) support of US citizens (that’s us)….who question or contradict Israel is unfortunately no surprise. It is a sad state of affairs when another country…their citizens and especially soldiers receive automatic belief, support and assistance from the US rather than helping her own citizens…..as should happen
You become a second or third class citizens in the eyes of our government when you question Israel…if fact unless you support Israel, her policies and practices forget about receiving anything in the way of help from the US Embassy….. you will receive grief or be ignored.
The stories told by Americans who’ve crossed or challenged Israel…all concur; the US Embassy and Government leaves her citizens high and dry.
Americans participating in the Freedom Flotillas were kidnapped/arrested by Israel and never saw anyone from their Embassy….and they watched as other countries sent officials to visit their citizens and see they are being treated fairly.
US citizens may as well not have an embassy in Israel……Is it possible to change this situation?
you know, Phil does terrific work with this blog. How does it get turned into action? Can we agree on one specific, Ameri-centric policy proposal — for example, Demand that advocates for Israel in the US be required to register as foreign agents; organize around this proposal; create a target US Representative whose life we will make unbearable unless he/she pushes this proposal forward . . .
Are there people on this forum who know how to do this? Can we organize, hold public meetings somewhere, make Mondoweiss/this group known, take ACTION???
Demand that advocates for Israel in the US be required to register as foreign agents
plllease. aipac should be required to register under fara but not anyone who advocates for israel you mights as well make all zionists register.
Gee, annie, look at how many people in high slots in our government whould be registered as agents of Israel. At any rate, requiring AIPAC to register as the umbrella agent for Israel First entities/lobbies would be a big win for those who’d like to have transparency in any form of our government.