(1) On Monday, apparently late (9:30 at night), the IDF invited selected journalists and “right-wing bloggers” (according to +972 magazine) to cast doubt on reports (and evidence) that Jawaher Abu Rahmeh (Abu Rahman) somehow died of teargas inhalation on 1 January that was used by the Army a day earlier, at a regular weekly demonstration in Bil’in.
According to various reports, the a senior IDF official said in the briefing that Jawaher died from some other medical condition (cancer, it was strongly suggested).
Doubts were raised about whether Jawaher even participated in the briefing — perhaps she was just an onlooker.
And, accusations were made that the reports about Jawaher’s death from tear gas were the latest “blood libel” against Israel.
Some of the earlier attempts to dismiss Jawaher’s death were based on claims that her death was an “honor killing”, covered up.
One of the earlier of those attempts was published on 2 January on the Samson Blinded blog, here, and said: “A Palestinian rioter in Bilin, Jawaher Abu Rahma, died after allegedly inhaling tear gas. Which is odd, since she was discharged from the hospital after a few hours. This is not how one dies from tear gas. Recall that Jawaher’s brother Bassam was killed by a tear gas canister at Bilin. Since the number of deaths there was minuscule, such a coincidence is improbable. It seems that Jawaher was killed by her own in order to maximize the PR effect of creating a martyr family”.
However, Yossi Gurvitz wrote for +972 magazine that “The briefing held last evening for all of the main Israeli media (as well as a select group of right-wing bloggers, people you can rely on not to ask difficult questions and who would understand their role in the Hasbara choir) was given, according to a source, by Major General (Aluf) Avi Mizrahi, general commander of Central Command. Mizrahi – first noted by the public when his colossal failure to supply the troops in the 2006 Lebanon war led him to permit limited looting – is a major figure, which may explain why his remarks were given such space by all of the Israeli media, even though he was not named. It should be mentioned again that this is not the official IDF Spokesman position; it refused to answer the question whether it was Mizrahi who gave the briefing, claiming it cannot expose a person providing ‘background information’; but Mizrahi’s briefing was anything a ‘background briefing’, it was entirely for immediate publication … Mizrahi hinted during his briefing that Abu Rahmah was ill with cancer, and she conveniently died during the demonstation, just to screw the IDF. His proof? She received medicines which may also serve cancer patients; this made him jump to the conclusion that she was sick with cancer, and died of it … In short, the IDF asks us to believe that a 36 years old woman died suddenly, just on the day of the demonstration from cancer which showed no earlier symptoms; that a large number of people conspired to fake her death; all of which, by the way, without any results of an autopsy (which was not held)”. This was published In short, the IDF asks us to believe that a 36 years old woman died suddenly, just on the day of the demonstration from cancer which showed no earlier symptoms; that a large number of people conspired to fake her death; all of which, by the way, without any results of an autopsy (which was not held). In short, the IDF asks us to believe that a 36 years old woman died suddenly, just on the day of the demonstration from cancer which showed no earlier symptoms; that a large number of people conspired to fake her death; all of which, by the way, without any results of an autopsy (which was not held).
Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak, who has himself been sentenced to three months in jail starting on 11 January for participating in a bike ride protest against calculated and calibrated Israeli military-administered sanctions against the Gaza Strip, has sent out an email on behalf of the Popular Struggle Committee saying that “Jawaher Abu Rahmah was killed after Israeli soldiers used excessive amounts of tear-gas to disperse the demonstration in Bil’in from afar last Friday. She passed away Saturday morning from cardiac arrest caused by the collapse of her respiratory system. Despite an enraging smear campaign by the Israeli Army, unsubstantially alleging that Abu Rahmah did not at all die as a result of tear-gas inhalation, all evidence support the demonstrators’ version, including the ambulance and medical reports. Contrary to Israeli claims, Abu Rahmah is not the first to have died as a result of tear-gas inhalation. Already during the years of the First Intifada, Amnesty International had reported forty deaths from CS tear gas inhalation from December 1987 to June 1988 alone in its report ‘Israel and the Occupied Territories: Amnesty International’s concerns in 1988” (published 1989)’. This email links to a report, not by Amnesty International, but rather to a back issue, dated 1992, from The Washington Report which reported here that “The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) is suing Federal Laboratories, a division of TransTechnology, Inc., on behalf of eight Palestinian families that have lost members due to inhalation of CS tear gas, a chemical weapon used by the Israelis. The complaint and request for jury trial seeks compensatory and punitive damages for wrongful death of the Palestinians. The suit alleges that Israel’s misuse of the CS gas is well documented. The complaint charges that by 1988, Federal Laboratories was aware of Israel’s abuse of the gas by firing directly at unarmed crowds and by using the gas indoors in crowded residential areas, and in and near structures that do not have windows that close. The suit charges that the firm knew the Israelis were using the gas without proper warning and where victims had no means to escape, and that the Israelis were failing to provide medical assistance to the victims. Amnesty International has reported [in a report entitled “Israel and the Occupied Territories: Amnesty International’s concerns in 1988″ (published 1989)] some 40 deaths from CS tear gas inhalation alone from December 1987 to June 1988”.
While the IDF said, in the meantime, that it had issued directives changing some of its practices, there are still questions about what happened to cause Jawaher Abu Rahmah’s death last Saturday. While, as one “right-wing blogger” noted, if the tear gas used was of a particularly lethal composition, Jawaher would not have been the only casualty. However, any armed force is also supposed to take into consideration other extenuating circumstances — such as possible medical conditions, or drug interactions — that might turn tear gas from an extreme irritant into an outright lethal weapon. And, by almost all accounts (except the IDF’s), Israeli solidiers used tear gas very liberally, to say the least, in Bil’in last week.
[[The Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) — which is part of the Prime Minister’s office — published a Tweet on 5 January saying that Jawaher Abu Rahmeh died of cancer, despite all the editorial space devoted to debating this question and the medical reports and testimonies that have been published. It is interesting, by comparison, to read on 6 January that “leaks” from the Prime Minister’s office, however true, are not at all acceptable, where as the defamatory spin from the IDF is perfectly acceptable. Arutz Sheva (a very nationalist and pro-settler website) reported on 6 January that “Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahi ordered the Shin Bet (Israel Security Service) to investigate senior members of his administration on suspicion that they leaked sensitive information to journalists, a report said Thursday. The investigation is underway, and several officials have already been questioned, some using a polygraph to determine if they were the ones who leaked the information. Among the officials the Shin Bet has questioned, the report on Army Radio said, are National Security advisor Uzi Arad, government secretary Zvi Hauser, and former Netanyahu spokesperson Nir Heffetz”. This Arutz Sheva story is posted here.]]
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(2) On Sunday evening, results were announced after a year-long IDF inquiry into the death of Jawaher’s brother, Basem Abu Rahmah, who died after being hit directly in the chest by a high-velocity tear-gas cannister.
Haaretz reported that “The IDF delayed its decision for over a year, until finally releasing a statement on Sunday. ‘We have approached military officials for their comments on the alleged incident. After examining the materials we received, we came to believe there was no basis found to the claim a tear gas grenade was aimed and fired directly at Abu Rahmeh’, the statement read. ‘The inquiry shows that there are two possible explanations for the injury: A. The injured man was standing on an elevated spot, and intersected the firing line of the grenade or B. The ammunition fired hit the upper wires of the fence, which changed its trajectory’.” This report is posted here.
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(3) In the aftermath of the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah, some 30 Israeli women’s organizations expressed shock and outrage, and called on their government to stop “the use of weapons to disperse popular demonstrations in the West Bank”.
A statement issued by the groups said: “We express solidarity with our sisters across the Palestine and Israel and support their inalienable right to non-violent protest”.
Their statement accused the Israeli army of “trying to … disseminate false information regarding the circumstances of the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah last Friday in Bil’in”, and they said they “will join the weekly demonstration against the Wall this Friday (the 7th of January) in Bili’in”, expressing solidarity and “a firm position of support for the protesters and family, according to which Abu-Rahmah’s death was caused as a result of tear gas inhalation, in contrast to versions circulated in recent days by the IDF spokesperson”. Among the groups who announced plans to participate in the Bil’in demonstration on Friday are: Coalition of Women for Peace, Progressive Women’s Front, TANDI, Machsom Watch, Aswat, Kayan and New Profile.
A press release stated that “Jawaher Abu-Rahmah, 36, a sister to Bassem Abu-Rahmah, who was killed in April 2009 from a high-velocity tear gas canisr shot directly towards him, was an active and appreciated figure in the village and used to organize conferences and workshops on feminist issutees”.
In addition, Dr. Dalit Baum, member of the Coalition of Women for Peace, who initiated the petition stated: “Abu-Rahmah’s murder is a form of violence against women, and it is plastered in the exact same way as other forms of violence against women are. As in all such cases, we, women’s organizations, will not silence until those responsible will be held accountable”.
Mahasen Rabous, Coordinator of the Coalition of Women for Peace, said: “nearly thirty women’s organizations have expressed today support for the struggle in Bil’in, and for the Palestinian struggle for liberation from occupation … solidarity between women does not stop at the checkpoint”