ZNet Commentary
On the Anniversary of Rachel Corrie's Murder March 15, 2004
By Justin Podur
On March 16, 2004, people will hold vigils and ralles in different parts of
the world to remember Rachel Corrie, a young American woman, part of the
International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who was murdered in the Gaza Strip by
a bulldozer on the same day last year.
Many other Palestinians, and some internationals, including the ISM?s Tom
Hurndall, have been murdered in the Gaza Strip since. Using figures from
Btselem, the Israeli human rights organization, Israeli security forces and
armed settlers have killed 540 Palestinians since March 2003, 4 of whom were
killed inside Israel?s borders, 109 of whom were children under 18. At the
same time, 132 Israeli civilians, including 20 children, were killed by
Palestinians.
Btselem?s figures were last updated on March 5. The recent killings in Jenin
and Rafah, as well as the suicide bombings in Ashdod over the past weekend,
were not included.
Rachel was trying to prevent one of Israel?s military bulldozers from
destroying a house in Rafah, a city that has been virtually razed to the
ground by such bulldozers in the year since she was killed. Btselem reports
that Israel demolished 223 houses in 2003 and 30 so far in 2004, to March 7,
and that these demolitions are conducted as punishment, "against families of
persons ?wanted? by the security forces or who have been killed."
UNRWA reported before October 2003 that Israel had demolished 655 houses in
Gaza since September 2000, rendering 5,124 homeless, along with large tracts
of agricultural land. In operations in October, Israel destroyed another 200
homes and made 2,000 more people homeless. Btselem emphasizes that the
persons who actually suffer from the demolitions are not people even suspected
of having committed any offense. In other words, the demolitions are
collective punishment, a violation of international law.
In 2003, the UN Special Rapporteur for food reported that over 22% of
Palestinian children under 5 are suffering from malnutrition and 15.6% from
acute anemia, which brings permanent negative effects on development. This
malnutrition is a direct result of Israel?s ?closures? policy, which has
effectively shut down the Palestinian economy and frequently prevents
emergency food aid from entering the territories.
There is much more to this conflict, as Rachel herself well understood, than
the figures on innocents killed or children starving, or houses and fields
demolished. In a letter to friends and family in the US, she described her
difficulty in trying to convey the larger picture without using ?charged
words?: "The assassinations, rocket attacks and shooting of children are
atrocities - but in focusing on them I'm terrified of missing their context.
The vast majority of people here - even if they had the economic means to
escape, even if they actually wanted to give up resisting on their land and
just leave (which appears to be maybe the less nefarious of Sharon's possible
goals), can't leave. Because they can't even get into Israel to apply for
visas, and because their destination countries won't let them in (both our
country and Arab countries). So I think when all means of survival is cut off
in a pen (Gaza) which people can't get out of, I think that qualifies as
genocide..!
. I don't like to use those charged words. I think you know this about me."
After March 2003, Israel denied responsibility for Rachel?s murder and took
the opportunity to attack the young woman?s organization, the ISM, for acting
"irresponsibly". The Israeli Army investigated and acquitted itself of any
wrongdoing.
The ISM is an organization based on an alliance between Palestinians,
Israelis, and internationals who are trying to resist the Israeli occupation
of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip using nonviolent tactics. As they have in
years before, in the year since Rachel?s death Palestinians and their friends
in ISM and other groups have mobilized against the massive wall Israel is
building in the West Bank, against house demolitions in places like Rafah, and
against the hundreds of military checkpoints that dot the landscape of the
Occupied Territories, choking the Palestinian society and economy.
Palestinians and Israelis who want the occupation and violence to end agree
that international support and international pressure is needed. For that
reason, ISM members work in their own countries as well.
The helicopters and warplanes that have killed Palestinian civilians in
bombing raids in Gaza are made in the United States. The bulldozers that
demolish houses for collective punishment are made by Caterpillar Corporation.
In Toronto, the March 16 actions will include a stop at Caterpillar
Corporation?s offices.
Rachel Corrie was well aware that the destruction in Israel/Palestine is an
international issue in which everyone plays a role. In some sense, this was
her last will. "When I come back from Palestine," she said, "I probably will
have nightmares and constantly feel guilty for not being here, but I can
channel that into more work... if the Israeli military should break with their
racist tendency not to injure white people, please pin the reason squarely on
the fact that I am in the midst of a genocide which I am also indirectly
supporting, and for which my government is largely responsible."
To try to channel the nightmares into more work for justice and peace for
everyone involved: that is the way to honour Rachel?s memory.
Justin Podur is a member of the International Solidarity Movement. He can be
reached at toronto-diWnxy0ZTf2GglJvpFV4uA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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