FBI Investigating the Death of Palestinian Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh New Challenge to Israel Government
A mural of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank, is on display in Gaza City on May 15, 2022. Photo: (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
The US Justice Department has confirmed that the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the occupied West Bank is under review by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The family of Abu Akleh publicly supports the FBI’s decision, given that she was an American citizen and was killed “by a foregin military.”
While wearing a bullet-proof vest labeled “press,” the Palestinian-American Journalist was shot in the head and killed while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the city of Jenin, West Bank last May. Israel initially denied responsibility, shifting blame to the unproven existence of armed Palestinian resistance in the area. The Palestinian Authority (PA) quickly accused the Israeli military of intentionally targeting her, and by July the Biden Administration had concluded that she was likely killed by “unintentional” Israeli fire. In September, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) admitted the reality that Abu Akleh was most likely killed by an Israeli soldier.
Independent investigations conducted by CNN, The AP, the New York Times, and The Washington Post have all concluded that the IDF was almost certainly responsible for the killing.
Perhaps solely due to her status as an American citizen, the FBI investigation into Abu Akleh’s killing marks a rare occurrence where US government forces are directly challenging Israel’s military conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories. Nonetheless, the Biden Administration has made clear to Israeli officials behind the scenes that neither the White House nor the U.S. State Department were involved in the FBI’s decision to investigate the IDF’s killing of the Al Jazeera journalist.
The IDF does not intend to cooperate with the investigation. The IDF is unlikely to face substantial political opposition inside of Israel for their refusal to cooperate, given the country’s general shift to the right and the recent elections confirming Likud Party Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud Party, attends the Knesset’s swearing-in ceremony in Jerusalem on Nov. 15, 2022 (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Despite the Biden administration denying involvement in the investigation, tensions between the US and Israeli governments have the potential to increase. The Israeli Minister of Defence tweeted that the IDF “will not allow interference in Israel’s internal affairs” and that military leadership will “stand behind the IDF soldiers.” He called the Justice Department’s decision a “grave mistake.” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid attacked the investigation as well, claiming that IDF soldiers “will not be investigated by the FBI or any foreign country or body, however friendly.”
US senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has accused the Biden administration of “unleashing the FBI” on Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu. US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), however, has described the investigation as an “overdue but necessary and important step in the pursuit of justice and accountability.”
While support for Israel is still unquestionably bipartisan, the differences between Republican and Democratic Party reactions to the investigation highlight a growing rift in US politics over the issue of Israel and its policy towards the occupied Palestinian territories. As the rift grows, Israel and its lobbyists in the United States will be increasingly inclined to support conservative politicians over their liberal and left-wing counterparts.
The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din has praised the investigation but added that “In most cases (72 percent of the complaints submitted by Palestinians), the army does not carry out a criminal investigation. A thorough and serious investigation is necessary, not only when it comes to an American citizen.”