Jerusalem – The parents of a young American activist crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer seven years ago as she tried to save a Palestinian home from demolition never saw the soldier who killed her or his commanders put on trial or punished.
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Instead, they have spent years battling in Israeli courts for two modest goals they hope might give them some closure: an apology from the military and a chance to look their daughter’s killer in the eye in court.
They suffered a setback in their quest last week when an Israeli judge declined one of their key requests. The driver and his commander are expected to testify in the family’s civil trial against the Israeli government in the coming weeks and the judge ordered that they will be screened from view during testimony. Their identities have not been made public.
The family has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the decision — they say seeing the bulldozer driver and his commander face-to-face would help them feel more compassion.
“We are desperately trying to keep our minds open about this,” said father Craig Corrie, 63.
Rachel Corrie was killed on March 16, 2003, while standing in the way of a military bulldozer that sought to demolish a Palestinian home in Gaza. An army investigation concluded she was partially hidden behind a dirt mound and ruled her death an accident. The driver and his commander were not charged or tried and no one was punished for her death.
In 2005, the Corries filed a civil suit against the Israeli Defense Ministry. They are seeking a symbolic one dollar in damages plus trial costs and travel expenses for themselves and witnesses, which they say are close to $100,000. Hearings in the case began this year.
Rachel’s mother Cindy Corrie told The Associated Press in an interview Sunday that their court battle seeks only a modicum of justice that they hope will bring them closure and perhaps the strength to forgive those involved.
“I want to understand these people. I want to understand how this could have happened,” said Corrie, 62. “After seven-and-a-half years of trying to find accountability … we’ve sort of worked toward this moment.”
Rachel Corrie’s parents — a musician and an insurance agent from Olympia, Washington — have become unlikely international advocates, drawn into world affairs by Rachel’s death.
Cindy Corrie had never left the U.S. before her daughter was killed. Her husband, Craig, had only left once: to serve as a U.S. combat engineer during the Vietnam war, where he oversaw U.S. military bulldozers clearing jungle paths.
Neither knew anything about the Middle East. Now they speak about Palestinian suffering in lectures across the world and of their own heartbreaking experience. They have also repeatedly visited the Palestinian territories, including the spot where Rachel was killed.
Rachel, the youngest of their three children, took a break from college at age 23 to pursue student activism overseas as a member of the International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group whose activists often position themselves between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.
Her death has become a hot-button issue between Israel and the Palestinians and their international supporters — who adopted Corrie as a potent symbol of what they consider Israel’s harsh repression of nonviolent protest to occupation.
Her fellow activists claim she was killed deliberately.
Supporters of Israel argue that Corrie, like thousands of other foreign activists, recklessly chose to risk her life in a conflict zone where she could be harmed by soldiers who themselves often feel under assault.
On Sunday, Israel’s Defense Ministry said in a statement responding to AP questions that it regretted “the incident in which Rachel Corrie was mistakenly hurt.”
The family argues that the military investigation into their daughter’s death was done poorly. Translations of trial testimonies provided by the Corries suggest that a commander told the military investigator not to question bulldozer operators and that the driver didn’t have clear instructions on dealing with civilians.
The Corries have lobbied U.S. officials to pressure Israel to reopen the investigation into Rachel’s death. And if the Supreme Court doesn’t rule in their favor, the Corries say the will resume lobbying U.S. officials.
They have also tried unsuccessfully to sue Caterpillar Inc., the U.S. company that manufactured the bulldozer. They claimed the company was liable for aiding and abetting human rights violations.
Although I feel badly for the family of the girl who was accidentally killed, the fault of the accident lies with the girl, who made a stupid and reckless decision to lie down in the path of a bulldozer. The same thing happed in 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, when a clergyman also laid down in the path of a bulldozer, to protest what his group thought was segregated housing, which was being built. People must take responsibility for their own actions, and not blame others who are not at fault.
She wasn’t an American activist but an anti American activist check her record on google
I hope they loose every thing – the court case against the army,cat and anyone else they sue for the daughters irresponsibility. as much as I am against the state of Israel any goy who is against it is an soni yisroel
If you go to a war zone, you should obviously expect that you may get killed. As we say in law – she “assumed the risk.” Case closed.
Well, if you stand in front of operating bulldozers, what do you expect?? Mit gondolnak ezek?
Rachel Corrie, otherwise known as Saint Pancake, was a dyed in the wool Leftist agitator without enough brains to stay out of the way of a bulldozer that couldn’t see her.
She agitated the Palestinians against the US and was another wasted life. Her parents are nothing but troublemakers along the lines of code pink and other wacko groups. They should be denied any consideration for their indoctrinated daughters suicidal foolishness.
Stupid leftwing looney liberals. Let themn even try to do something like this in Saudi Arabia or Egypt
Rachel Corrie committed suicide. She was not murdered. Her willingness to die for a cause would be considered respectable by those who believe as she did. It would be considered foolish by those who disagree. But she was the one to place herself in front of a moving bulldozer. Suicide. No apologies or damages warranted.
Just one message from a member of the Court of Public Opinion.
#3 – More so, any Jew who is against the State of Israel is soni Yisrael – hilul Hashem
I’d like to see Rachel Corrie’s record on activism in countries like North Korea, Iran and all the other repression countries. Or does she only come to israel because the opponent is jewish?
I feel badly for the family however my question is what “sane” person goes in front of a moving bulldozer?? The Caterpillar Corp. would have the same question.
I had no idea the courts in Israel are as lame as the ones in New York; this case should have been tossed years ago saving the taxpayers of Israel the expense of this “show trial*.”
What don’t these people just admit that they failed as parents and the child’s death is a direct result of exposing her to their left wing lunacy?
*For what it’s worth I feel the same about Lori Berenson’s parents and the nonsense they are trying to pull in Peru.
At 23 years old Rachel Corrie was not a “girl” but a young woman in control of her faculties. That she threw herself in front of a moving earth mover was an act of insane abandon. That she was crushed to death was the fault of nobody but herself.
Meanwhile her parents are busy suing just about anybody even tangentially involved with this incident. They are cynically laying blame anyplace but where it really belongs; with their foolish kid who thought she was invincible and with themselves for supporting her dysfunctional “activism”.
They should be charged with raising a moron and should be given one free appointment to a Psychiatrist. What nerve these looney liberals have.
I hate to criticize the family especially loosing a daughter; but the fact remains that they are suing for something their daughter caused to herself. In Jewish law she committed suicide. By the parents suing seems to add to the fact her parent help cause crazy leftist ideas. Please look into the mirror before you go forward; the suite might cause you much more grief.
Only in Israel would anyone listen to this garbage. And she can go waste the time of the Supreme Court.
Run the parents over and let them join her.
why doesn’t she sue the PLO for their incitement that led to this tragic incident?
how about all the victims of arab terror?
why is it that the left wing in our country fell they have a right to enter another country and tell them how to live in this case she stood in front of a moving construction machine asd it was approachingt and refused to move my sympathies are with the driver who neither saw her nor heard her and now lives with this for the reast of his life.
Rachel Corrie already got justice. It was administered by a bulldozer. As to her parents, if they had done a better job as parents, and not raised a vile, terrorist-loving, Jew-hating, American flag-burning little harpy, they wouldn’t have to worry about this ridiculous litigation.
Activist????? More like provocateur. Obviously her parents did not teach her not to go out into the street and play in the traffic. In reality what she did was commit an act of suicide, so why should the driver or his commander be responsible?
The ones responsible should be those who brainwashed her and fed her propaganda.
20 – as soon as I read that “these rabbis were naive” you lost your argument
#18 and #21 .. I agree with your comments. Easy to blame everyone else when you are not dealing with reality ( sue Caterpillar Inc?? come on now!). The Corrie’s, as parents should never have allowed her to get involved in another countries business. Why Americans think that they can go to a foreign country, engage in anti goverment activities there and expect that nothing can or will happen to them.
Although not the same venue, this kind of reminds me of the jailing of Lori Berenson in Peru… She goes to another country, gets involved with their domestic politics and winds up in jail for a long time….then claims she wasn’t involved.
if you don’t have the mentality to handle complex politics you are in danger of being used as a pawn.the manipulators will break things down to there own agendas favor and give a simple spin to the facts turning there followers into blind soldiers.apparently these two poor old foolish parents show why a daughter like themselves could so easily be led by the nose.go home and mayG-D comfort you for your loss.