The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh in May was a tragedy that can never be lightened. A tragedy for a beloved journalist and her family. A tragedy for Palestinians and others who prized her voice, a tragedy for Al Jazeera, and for the idea of fearless reporting on a never-ending military occupation.
As a journalist I identify with Shireen. And I can tell you that any journalist who even glances at the circumstances of Shireen’s killing that morning recognizes that her conduct was prudent and exemplary.
Thankfully, journalists have lined up behind Shireen in death. One of the positives of the shift we have all observed in the treatment of Palestine in the west is that many news organizations have investigated her killing and concluded just what eyewitnesses told us on May 11: that an Israeli soldier targeted her, as well as her producer Ali Sammoudi, who was shot and wounded.
Those investigations have generated enormous pressure on the Biden administration to launch an investigation of Shireen’s death. Because the Israelis are determined to sweep Shireen’s killing under the rug, as just another part of its “counterterrorism” operations in occupied territory. Those reporters were “armed with cameras,” an Israeli army spokesperson said the day Shireen was killed, in yet another demonstration of Israeli impunity. And the Biden is doing his best to ignore the case, even though Shireen was a Palestinian-American.
We have played an important role in generating that pressure. We have echoed and amplified all the media investigations of Shireen’s killing. I personally have hammered the fact that Israel knows exactly what happened that morning and is arrogantly withholding information. We have provided the important context – Israel has killed 45 Palestinian journalists in the occupied territories in the last 22 years through the same brutal indifference.
We are determined to honor Shireen’s legacy, and do everything we can to continue her work. But we do sincerely need your help to do it. The stakes could not be clearer.
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We have repeated the fact that Shireen’s killing is very similar to the killing of the brilliant young Gaza journalist Yasser Murtaja in 2018. He also wore a Press flak jacket and was cut down by a sniper. And nothing has been done to bring accountability in that case. Simply disappeared.
We have publicized the efforts by Shireen’s family to attain justice in her killing. I’m particularly proud of the video we published (by Ghousoon Bisharat and Thomas Dallal) of Lina Abu Akleh, Shireen’s niece, saying that “Shireen’s legacy is to continue to talk about Palestine, to keep Palestine on the map.
“Talking about Shireen is talking about Palestine.”
We are determined to keep talking about Palestine in the United States. Talking about Shireen Abu Akleh, Yasser Murtaja, and many other less prominent people who are killed or see their homes destroyed. And talking about the American foreign policy that is colluding with the Israelis to cover up Shireen’s killing.
This work is hard, even in the most optimistic of moments. Right now, I wouldn’t blame anyone who felt the combined power of Israeli and American cruelty was simply too much to overcome.
Even yesterday, our own Yumna Patel and her team were detained in Masafar Yatta. Thankfully they were safely released. But the truth that being a journalist right now is truly dangerous is never far from any of our minds.
I am steadfast in my belief that our voices can make a difference. But we need each other, perhaps like never before.
Please, help Mondoweiss meet the demands of this moment with a generous donation today.
