PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
PLO Executive Committee Department of Culture and Information
August 22, 2012
PLO Executive Committee Deplores the Miscarriage of Justice in the Rachel Corrie Verdict
PLO Executive Committee member and head of the PLO Department of Culture and Information, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, strongly denounced an Israeli district court ruling that claimed American activist Rachel Corrie’s death was “an accident” and that she was not a “thinking person” at the time of her death:
“Despite the testimonies of eyewitnesses, the audio-visual evidence and the overwhelming proof that Rachel was deliberately murdered, the Israeli court insists on victimizing her again in her tragic death. This proves that once again the occupation has distorted the legal and judicial systems in Israel and that the lack of accountability for its violence and violations has generated a culture of hate and impunity.”
Dr. Ashrawi stressed, “We must make sure that Rachel Corrie’s death is not a senseless incident. It must be stressed that Israel’s habit of blaming the victim and exonerating the criminal is not applied to Palestinian victims, but has also it has extended its reach to international solidarity activists and victims of Israeli violence.”
“The U.S. government has been noticeably absent and its silence is deafening. In their lack of engagement and human empathy, both the legislative and executive branches are complicit in compounding the crime,” said Dr. Ashrawi.
“The Palestinians as a whole will continue to love Rachel and cherish her memory. Her sacrifice will always be a source of hope and a tribute to genuine humanity,” concluded Dr. Ashrawi.
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