Rachel Corrie of Oympia died in 2003, run over by an Israeli bulldozer. The dozer was demolishing a house in Gaza. She was trying to stop it.
The bulldozer driver could not see her. Israel has released footage from a camera that showed what the driver could see. Even Mother Jones magazine found this report credible.
The idf compiled a video about the Corrie incident that includes footage taken from inside the cockpit of a D9. It makes a credible case that the operators, peering out through narrow, double-glazed, bulletproof windows, their view obscured behind pistons and the giant scooper, might not have seen Corrie kneeling in front of them.Why was she trying to stop a huge bulldozer? She was protecting a house that hid a tunnel for smuggling weapons into Israel.
She also fomented anti-American hatred. In February, 2003 she was photographed burning a paper American flag in front of Palestinian children.
Her parents have actively tried to keep the memory of her death "alive." The Palestinians expressed thanks by trying to kidnap them in 2006.( Also covered by Sound Politics in January, 2006.)
Now her parents are suing Israel. I guess Israel is allowing them to. The trial started yesterday. NWCN
Posted by Ron Hebron at March 11, 2010 08:06 AM | Email ThisThis is the same, misguided, ideological backwater that guides liberals here to spend billions on rail, even though reality shows low ridership numbers, and a huge inequity of benefit for the cost. It's the same thinking, that gives the left Hope that they can Change our massive economic problems by taxing and spending.
Reality is a great salve for the thin skinned, misguided, but passionate liberal. Just as Corrie found out the hard way, so will the rest of the ideologically clueless, yet passionate lefties.
Posted by: Jeff B. on March 11, 2010 11:13 AMJoseph Smith (her "friend" who was present at the scene): "The spirit that she died for is worth a life. This idea of resistance, this spirit of resisting this brutal occupying force, is worth anything. And many, many, many Palestinians give their lives for it all the time. So the life of one international, I feel, is more than worth the spirit of resisting oppression."
"'We knew there was a risk,' Smith said, 'but we also knew it never happened in the two years that we (the ISM) have been working here. I knew we take lots of precautions so that it doesn't happen, that if it did happen it would have to be an intentional act by a soldier, in which case it would bring a lot of publicity and significance to the cause.'"
He KNEW THERE WAS A RISK but his group allowed or encouraged Rachel to engage in it anyway (reckless endangerment?), and he also said how much publicity her death would get. In fact, the risk had already been made eminently clear; Rachel had almost been run over in a previous encounter with a bulldozer.
"Picture taken between 3:00-4:00PM, 16 March 2003, Rafah, Occupied Gaza. Rachel Corrie (L) and Nick (R) oppose the potential destruction of this home (to the west of the Doctor's home where Rachel was killed). In the instance pictured, the bulldozer did not stop and Rachel was pinned between the scooped earth and the fence behind her. On this occasion, the driver stopped before seriously injuring her."
ISM leader George Rishmawi: "When Palestinians get shot by Israeli soldiers, no one is interested anymore," Rishmawi said. "But if some of these foreign volunteers get shot or even killed, then the international media will sit up and take notice."
Right, Rachel was worth more to him dead than alive; me savvy good.
There is even more, and I have sent it to Israel for use in the lawsuit. When Craig and Cindy Corrie finally realize who really caused their daughter's death, they will direct their anger in the right direction and we will get real justice for Rachel Corrie.
Posted by: Winged Hussar 1683 on March 11, 2010 11:51 AMIf "everyone is entitled to spend their life's energy and resources as they choose", then do you believe that the people are allowed to build successful corporations and make wild profits? What if these corporations profit off of health care insurance or automobile manufacturing or loaning money only to people who can pay it back?
Do you believe there is any limit to what people are allowed to do? That is, should I be allowed to expend my energy murdering leftists and homosexuals? Or should I be allowed to raise an army and overthrow the governments of Washington State and the United States? Or should I be allowed to arm radicals who intend to do the same? What about if I assist people trying to overthrow the State of Israel and eliminate the Jewish people as a race?
If you believe people have a natural right to life, then you believe that people have a duty to protect life. That means we have to stop people who try to take lives and people who are assisting people to take lives. That means Rachel Corrie is no hero, nor her family worthy of any condolences. May the terrorist collaborator rot in peace. May all who feel sorry for someone who was helping murder innocent Jews rot likewise.
Posted by: Jonathan Gardner on March 11, 2010 12:42 PMPosted by: Winged Hussar 1683 on March 11, 2010 11:51 AMPosted by: iconoclast on March 11, 2010 02:16 PMWH
You got that right. Over at pajamas they have an article about this lawsuit. In it, there are pictures of Rachel Corrie's death. The first is clearly staged and appears to be where she was crushed by the cat. So instead of caring for Rachel--or at least respecting her death--these ISM scum spent the time to position people and Rachel so to make a compelling picture.
This is what the Israelis are fighting. So are we, if we were honest about it.
I think it is instructive to know that photos of the event have been photo-forged to bend reality and to elicit sympathy for their cause. If the accident was anything but, why the forgings?
The simple fact is that Ms. Corrie was a tool of the leftist America haters and Israel is just one of the battlegrounds. Worth more to the haters dead than alive, to bad they didn't clue her in on their plans for her.
I would feel sorry for the parents but, at the link above, you will also see them accepting an award from the man who invented modern terrorism.
Posted by: G Jiggy on March 11, 2010 02:31 PMA few months later there was a great photo in the Times of two Palestinians sitting in Gaza watching Obama's Cairo speech. What a surprise, they both were holding machine guns.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on March 11, 2010 03:17 PMEven the Seattle Weekly does a great parody of these people in their great "Uptight Seattleite" feature.
That's exactly what these old 1960's hippies have become. More uptight than the parents and the "establishment" they rebelled against. Warning. Don't point the irony out to them. They tend to get really mad.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on March 11, 2010 03:46 PMYes I agree it has always been quite easy to spot hippie leftists. But my eyesight not being what it used to be, I have found a simple way to confirm such leftism, and that is to position oneself downwind of a prospective Port Townsend hippie. It usually doesn't take but a quick whiff to confirm....and yes, this works even from considerable distance.
Posted by: Saltherring on March 11, 2010 04:10 PMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt_OS54FFFE&feature
Posted by: JDH on March 11, 2010 04:12 PMShe was indoctrinated by leftist Israel haters. You can look at photos of her and see how angry she was. Has the left ever accepted responsibility for twisting this young woman's mind into a woman filled with misplaced anger?
Rachel Corrie's death was tragic. Those responsible are the leftist fools at Evergreen State College and other leftist institutions that indoctrinate young people that haven't had time to develop the ability to question and think independently.
Leftist institutions, and perhaps her own parents turned Rachel Corrie into a hate filled pro Palestinian activist.
She was indoctrinated by leftist Israel haters. You can look at photos of her and see how angry she was. Has the left ever accepted responsibility for twisting this young woman's mind into a woman filled with misplaced anger?
Rachel Corrie's death was tragic. Those responsible are the leftist fools at Evergreen State College and other leftist institutions that indoctrinate young people that haven't had time to develop the ability to question and think independently.
Leftist institutions, and perhaps her own parents turned Rachel Corrie into a hate filled pro Palestinian activist.
putting america first
you'd never support Israel to the tune of billions of dollars and at the expense of oil embargoes, wars and terrorism
or if you believed in human rights you'd support the Palestinians as their land was given to someone else without their consent. They have for more than 60 years lived without basic rights and under a brutal occupation.
I sincerely dont understand how anyone with an unbiased opinion could support the Israeli thru all this, but maybe thats just me.
Posted by: M on March 11, 2010 08:50 PMJews have called their present territory (and even more) Israel for the better part of the four thousand years they have inhabited it. Meanwhile the cluster of people who refer to themselves as "Palistinians" did not exist as a group 100 years ago, nor was there any land known as "Palestine".
Amazing how murdering Islamic terrorists resent allowing their Israeli cousins a mere 1/16 of 1% of the land in the Middle East. And even more amazing is how the apologists of "Palistinian" terrorists think they can delude us with their nonsense.
Posted by: Salhtehrring on March 11, 2010 09:29 PMHer father and family who morn her death also morn the for the driver of the bulldozer that ran over Rachel; they morn for the driver because he killed his humanity at the moment he murdered Rachel.
The driver has not been allowed to speak with Rachel's family; evidence has been hidden and falsified. Investigations were promised and non forthcoming.
Rachel was the most beautiful person in the universe. Morn for her and for her vision of peace.
Posted by: David Lucier on March 11, 2010 09:43 PMyou say was no Palestine - why is its name on maps dating back to Romans?
You say there are no Palestinians, then who are those millions of refugees outside the Israeli settlements?
Israel may be 1% of the Middle East, but do you understand why thats little comfort to the person being pushed out of his house?
I dont see whats nonsense about what I said. The UN has passed numerous resolutions against Israel. This is how the majority of the people in the world see things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_resolutions_concerning_Israel
I still dont understand the logic behind supporting Israel. Instead of insulting me, explain it to me. Thanks.
Posted by: M on March 11, 2010 10:03 PMhttp://www.normanfinkelstein.com/deutschland-uber-alles/
how can you tell she was an anti-smite?
Is there a way to be against the policy of Israel and not be anti-semitic?
Do you think the Palestinians hate the Israelis because they're Jewish and not because they are occupying their land?
Are Israelis allowed to worship in Jordan, or Gaza, or Syria, or Egypt? Would the Palestinians allow a synagogue to be built by Jewish citizens?
There are plenty of mosques and churches in Israel; how many are in Gaza?
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on March 11, 2010 11:43 PMPalestenians live in refugee camps, they dont have a state. their economy is 1/40 of israel;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aEo59c7zU
Amazing you think 'they've never had it so good'.
The bible is not a deed. imagine if the world worked that way, and people started to point to a thousand year old book as proof that their ancestors lived here and it was there.
we cant live in a world where we're putting a man on the moon while believing in these fairy tales. lets be serious. 95% of Israelis emmigrated there from somewhere else. 95% of the palestenians where there for the last since before the US was a country.
There is no defense for supporting Israel in contradiction to the rest of the world. It bring America nothing but trouble to say nothing of the morality of it.
Posted by: M on March 12, 2010 04:42 AMActually, rachel corrie committed suicide by errantly believing that the driver of the bulldozer could see her. I'm tired of people trying to prop this POS into some martyr of human rights. She was simply an evergreen state college hater of her country and its ally Israel as displayed in the picture linked above proves (with the US flag).
If the parent's wish to see the true murderer of their daughter they simply have to look in the mirror. They taught their naive daughter that going through life trying in vain to shove a square peg in a round hole was a noble adventure. Unfortunately for Rachel Corrie and her imbecilic parent's, ignorance may be bliss, but it can kill you just the same.
Posted by: Rick D. on March 12, 2010 07:15 AMYou are correct in that the Bible is not a deed. However, it - and many other historical writings - indicate the Israelis had been in that location for thousands of years, and at least have an equal claim on the land of Israel.
Also, we should consider the actual facts at the founding of Israel. When the UN set it up (yes, it was the UN, not the US, why not attack the UN?) the newly-formed nation did NOT expel Palestinians; on the contrary, it was the surrounding Arab nations which called for all the Palestinians to leave as they would purge the lands of all Jews.
And then we had war. Many of them, attempting to do the same. And to date the Arab nations around Israel have not destroyed Israel.
Arabs and Palestinians and Muslims are welcomed and active members of Israeli society. There are Palestinian and Muslim members of the Knesset, and if you're an Israeli you can vote, doesn't matter if you are Muslim, Arab, Druze, Christian, etc.
In the current Gaza strip, or in Jordan, or in Egypt, or Syria, can Jewish citizens do so in those countries?
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on March 12, 2010 07:44 AMplease. There is no value in Israel as an ally, stratgeically, economically or more morally.
the bible isnt a deed to someones land. and the millions of Palestenians and literally BILLIONS of people who call Israel out for what its doing is no small hoard.
Posted by: M on March 12, 2010 07:51 AMthanks for your message. I dont know if I'd say the fact that someone in say Russia who is Jewish has an equal claim to land in Palestine as someone whos been living there for generations, simply because the bible says Jews lived there thousands of years ago. that doesnt seem fair to me or based on any property law that I know of.
but if you're willing to say that everyone has equal rights to land and politics then that it doesnt bother me who emigrates there.
the thing is the place where they wanted to put these buildings are surronded by people, refugees, who are not israeli citizens. so it seems to me only fair if you are going to put your citizens on someones land and control the people there, make them citizens.
there are a few million people like this, who dont have equal israeli rights yet are subjected to their rules, laws, etc.
Israel does not want to give these people citizenship but want to occupy their land. this seems unconsiciable to me.
I hope that she will inspire a whole generation of stupid, America hating, leftists to travel to war zones and have themselves run over by bulldozers.
Posted by: johnny on March 12, 2010 08:28 AMIf you don't like being called an ignorant Liberal, then do some reading and quit Blabbing like an ignorant Liberal.
from Bertrand Russell, who all due respect knew more than you do
...The tragedy of the people of Palestine is that their country was “given” by a foreign Power to another people for the creation of a new State. The result was that many hundreds of thousands of innocent people were made permanently homeless. With every new conflict their number have increased. How much longer is the world willing to endure this spectacle of wanton cruelty? It is abundantly clear that the refugees have every right to the homeland from which they were driven, and the denial of this right is at the heart of the continuing conflict. No people anywhere in the world would accept being expelled en masse from their own country; how can anyone require the people of Palestine to accept a punishment which nobody else would tolerate? A permanent just settlement of the refugees in their homeland is an essential ingredient of any genuine settlement in the Middle East.
Obviously this is not true.
Posted by: Jack on March 12, 2010 12:07 PM
There are millions of non-Jewish Israelis. There is a process to become an Israeli citizen. That many do not avail themselves of the process isn't a failing of the nation of Israel.
And understand when Israel was created the Palestinians were NOT forced out; those that left did so voluntarily as they expected - like the surrounding nations - to wipe Israel out immediately, and thus would return.
Well, we know the wars didn't work, and those that left were stuck. Those that stayed are still there, without concern.
If Canada was threatening to wipe the US out, and you moved out of the US because you wanted to support Canada in its war, and Canada does not succeed, do not be surprised that you're not welcomed back to the US with open arms and all that you voluntarily left behind returned to you!
Posted by: Shanghai Dan on March 12, 2010 03:47 PMThis entire family sounds nuttier than squirrel droppings.
Posted by: Rick D. on March 12, 2010 04:50 PMEach war that created more refugees was an act of aggression against Israel by the surrounding Arab states. After those wars, the aggressor states refused to accept those refugees back into their countries. Ask yourself sometime why Egypt, which Gaza was a part of, does not want Gaza now. And why Jordan would not accept the Arabs after their two failed attempts to wipe out Israel? And those same refugees--how many opposed these wars of aggression? None.
The plight of the Arabs in Gaza and West Bank is not because of Israeli actions. It is because of their own corrupt leaders and the terrorist gangs they allow. Gaza and West Bank are effectively failed states--this is the Arab "homeland". They will remain failed as long as they continue to conduct an irregular war against Israel.
Israel is a modern, Western democracy that respects religious freedom, personal freedom, and economic freedom. It is a country that operates under rule of law. Countries with those characteristics do well. Countries that do not operate under rule of law, are bigoted, genocidal, and aggressive do not do very well for their populace. If you are concerned about the poverty of the Arabs in Gaza and West Bank, your attention would be better directed at their leadership and tolerance of armed terrorist gangs inciting war with Israel.
Tough noogies, Rach. Youse pays your monies, and youse takes your chances.
C'ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya!
for the people who say the bible is some sort of claim to the area. lets be real. just cause you feel you're ancestors were somewhere 3K years ago doesnt give you a right to go there and dispose the people currently on the land.
as to people who say Israel won the land in war. fair enough, but international law says you cant keep land you win in war, and as point of fact, Israel PRE-Emptively attacked its arab neighbors in 1967.
in any case, it doesnt matter. there will be ONE state, Jewish and Arab on that land eventually. its a shame so much unnecessary violence has to happen before then, but it will happen, and all of you will probably support it, once the majority of people do.
here's a quote from the first president of Israel
“If I were an Arab leader, I would never sign an agreement with Israel. It is normal; we have taken their country. It is true God promised it to us, but how could that interest them? Our God is not theirs. There has been Anti - Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault ? They see but one thing: we have come and we have stolen their country. Why would they accept that?”
David Ben-Gurion (Polish born Israeli Statesman and Prime Minister (1948-53, 1955-6)
"There will be peace in the Middle East when the Arabs love their children more than they hate the Jews"~ Golda Meir
Posted by: Rick D. on March 13, 2010 06:43 PMYou seem to be faulting Israel because there is no state for the Palestinians. Fault the UN if you object to Israel's existence as a state.
Nothing is perfect in life, and nations don't get everything they want in negotiation, or even in war if they are victorious. The Palestinians' plight is largely of their own doing. They are descendants of families that left Israel shortly after her creation, who now expect an unfettered right of return. They were driven from Israel the same way the handful of people that actually moved to Canada after GWB43's 2004 election win were driven from the US.
Following the directions of their leaders, Palestinians bred like lemmings to intentionally swell their population and place demographic and economic pressure on Israel. Now they claim they live in despicable circumstances, packed in like, er, lemmings. They don't put effort into infrastructure or agriculture. They put effort into building human bombs, launching missiles, and otherwise trying to pick off an Israeli or two or three, enough to cause Israel to deal with that problem by walling them off. So now they claim they are victims of that, with help from a certain failed former US president.
In 2000, Arafat was offered the best deal any Palestinian leader ever has been or will be offered, which would have enabled creation of a Palestinian state giving them approximately 94% of what existed before 1967, and land exchanges to make up the difference. His response was to launch an intifada which has largely been responsible for their current situation. I am not a Bill Clinton fan but his efforts to craft a deal to me were admirable. His envoy Dennis Ross and others have nicely documented what was offered. Palestinian accounts of what they think they were offered were vague, inconsistent, and late to be published, because Arafat left the meeting without providing a response, so no one on his side really knew what was on the table, as they were not told.
94% is not 100%. Doesn't mean Israel did not make real efforts to work out a deal. You cannot credibly argue to the contrary. 2000 was a wonderful opportunity to end hostility and to begin to live in peace. Arafat chose violence instead.
No insults, and an attempt to address what you continue to insist are your unanswered questions. I appreciate your Ben Gurion quote, but the role of a leader is not to do what his people want. It is to do what is best for his people. I believe Rick D's quote/paraphrase by Golda Meir trumps.
Posted by: Bob on March 14, 2010 08:27 AMThe sweat hog is a great source for jokes though:
Posted by: juandos on March 14, 2010 09:23 AMThis is why her death will mean so little...though to her family...I offer my condolences.
As to the people who praise her "cause" which is also likely their cause. You might want to start thinking long and hard about your own reasons..
Posted by: chrisn on March 14, 2010 10:11 AMThis is why her death will mean so little...though to her family...I offer my condolences.
As to the people who praise her "cause" which is also likely their cause. You might want to start thinking long and hard about your own reasons..
Posted by: chrisn on March 14, 2010 10:13 AMYeah, but our relationship with Hamas is great thanks to Obama. That's a real positive development. I'm sure that now even the French will like us. Corrie and Obama...birds of a feather.
Posted by: Jack on March 15, 2010 08:29 AMObama is doing just about everything Tel Aviv wants. There might be an odd "dispute" reported in the media to keep us sheep believing otherwise. And shills like Jack to spout endless little soundbytes.
We should cut bait in my opinion, but braindead Americans won't likely listen to reason.
Posted by: GV on March 15, 2010 08:47 AMThere will be no peace in the near east until muslims no longer feel it is appropriate to dress their todders up as suicide bombers on family photo day (and the American left ceases its support for fanatical muslim extremists who seek destruction of Israel).
Posted by: Attila on March 15, 2010 09:21 AM
