Washington: The Israel Defense Force’s (IDF’s) conclusion of investigations into the death of American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh, stating she accidentally fell victim to IDF gunfire triggered hostile media reactions from various quarters that targeted the US government for going soft on its political ally. The media at large questioned Washington on its seriousness about reining in strongly on human rights violations.
While the White House turned defensive on the issue of accountability, the scribes present were in no mood to relent over the US government’s perceived inability to hold the IDF accountable for the death of the journalist who also happened to be an American citizen.
The American government was riddled with aggressive media queries that repeatedly pressed for a response about the killing of a US journalist on Israeli soil. The queries sought to know what measures had been adopted to hold Israel accountable for such acts of civilian casualties. How well Washington had handled their Israeli counterparts and held them responsible for the killing of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, turned into an issue of intense debate in media circles.
The US government spelt out that its focus was on seeking assurance from the government of Israel that such incidents do not take place in the future anymore.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US continues to call on all sides to maintain calm and avoid further escalation. “We welcome Israelis’ review of this tragic incident, and we underscored the importance of accountability in this case, such as policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Our thoughts remain with Abu Akleh’s family as they grieve this tremendous loss,” Karine said and claimed: “The U.S. Security Coordinator — the USCC, as it relates to the investigation, finding that there was no reason to believe the killing was intentional and it was instead the result of tragic circumstances is based on a series of engagements and a review of the totality of the available evidence, situational and environmental factors… In addition to the forensic and ballistic analysis, the USCC was granted full access to both Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian Authority investigations. By summarizing both investigations, the USCC concluded that gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh. The USCC found no reason to believe that this was intentional but rather the result of tragic circumstances.”
While Washington laid emphasis that it was seeking a thorough review of Israel’s policies and practices to ensure avoiding civilian casualties and protection of journalists on the field, the media, at a US Department of State press conference here, stressed complete accountability for the act of violence that resulted in Akleh’s death. The US government defended their degree of proactive measures stating, “There was enough that was stated to impress upon the Israeli government that such tragedies do not occur in the future. We continue to reiterate this sentiment to our Israeli partners,” Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State, told journalists.
Sustained questioning made the government sound a placatory note to the Western media stating, “Our thoughts are with the grieving family of this fearless reporter who also happened to be a US citizen. We share the grieving moments of her family and are keen to ensure that such things do not find a recurrence. In addition, we have called urgent attention from the Israeli government for the respect of human rights and paving the way for a strong civil society.”
The media also sought to know about the safety of humans involved with NGOs that were operating on Israeli soil. “The safety of humans who work for these NGOs is of paramount concern to all of us. It was important from the point of view of humanitarian aid and assistance that these organizations are allowed to carry on with their work safely. The US government is currently in the process of holding talks with their Israeli counterparts at the seniormost levels for seeking future cooperation and the safety of civil society besides journalists.
While a huge section of the media remained still unconvinced, the US State Department sounded off with “America is all for freedom of the press and will strive to ensure the safety of lives for journalists working on Israeli soil.” Patel said: “What for us to do – and what we’re – the role we’re continuing to play is pressing Israel to closely review its policies and practices to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.”
– global bihari bureau
