In the wake of the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah in Bil’in on New Year’s Day after she inhaled tear gas, Adalah-NY is mobilizing against two American companies that have provided tear gas to Israeli soldiers and policemen (CSI in Pennsylvania, Defense Technology in Wyoming). Adalah’s latest statement details the human toll of these teargas canisters and the gas itself. Excerpts:
Jawaher’s brother Bassem Abu Rahmah was murdered when he was shot by an Israeli soldier directly in the chest with an extended range CSI extended range tear gas canister in April 2009. In March 2009, an Israel soldier shot Tristan Anderson, an American citizen, in the head during a demonstration in Ni’ilin with a CSI extended range tear gas canister leaving him partially handicapped and suffering slight cognitive damage. Both cases were thoroughly documented by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. In a September, 2010 report, The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee noted that, “18 people have been directly shot at and hit by the high velocity [extended range] projectiles” in Bil’in and Ni’ilin alone. Also severely injured was Bil’in resident Khamis Abu Rahmah who “suffered a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage.” Another US citizen, 21-year-old Emily Henochowicz, lost her left eye when an Israeli soldier fired an aluminum tear gas canister directly at her, also possibly manufactured by CSI, striking her face during a West Bank protest in May 2010. The initials CTS, an acronym for Combined Tactical Systems and a brand name of CSI, can be found on many canisters used by the Israeli military.
B’Tselem reported in an April 2009 letter to the Israeli military’s Judge Advocate General that the direct firing of tear gas at protesters was common practice and violated both Israeli open-fire regulations and CSI product instructions. Nonetheless, the firing of tear gas canisters directly at protesters by Israeli soldiers has continued, and has been documented as recently as January 14, 2011.
According to +972Mag, in September, 2010 an 18-month-old child died at a hospital after being overcome with tear gas in East Jerusalem. In addition, Ha’aretz Daily and The Forward have recently reported on a 2003 Israeli army study, which revealed that very high concentrations of the tear gas Israel uses could be lethal. Palestinian villages that protest Israeli land seizure are regularly engulfed in tear gas by the Israeli army, with unknown long-term health impacts for residents and their Israeli protest supporters.
Since January 3, CSI has repeatedly refused to respond to letters and journalists’ inquiries about accusations of Israeli misuse of their products…
B’Tselem documented two additional deaths caused by Israeli tear gas in June 2002. Muhammad Ishteiwi, a 14 year-old from al-Far’a refugee camp in Tubas, was killed after he collapsed after being hit in the chest by a rubber bullet. When he fell, a tear gas canister exploded near his face and killed him. Khader al-Gharbi died after inhaling tear gas from more than 20 grenades which were thrown into his Silwan, East Jerusalem home.
