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'''Nahum Shahaf''' ({{lang-he|נחום שחף}}) is an Israeli ], best known for his role in an October 2000 ] (IDF) investigation surrounding the shooting of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, ]. Prior to the investigation, Shahaf had worked with the IDF on the design of ]s, and had been known primarily as an inventor, having received an ] award for creativity in 1997 for his work on ] transmission.<ref name=Fallows>.</ref> '''Nahum Shahaf''' ({{lang-he|נחום שחף}}; born June 2, 1946<ref>Israeli Census - Verified March 23, 2010</ref>) is an Israeli ] and current president Natop, an electro-optics and image enhancement company he founded.<ref name="res">{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref> He was one of the leading developers of Israel's ]s,<ref name="Lord"></ref> and received an ] award for creativity in 1997 for his work on ] transmission.<ref>: "Before getting involved in the al-Dura case, Shahaf was known mainly as an inventor. He was only the tenth person to receive a medal from the Israeli Ministry of Science, for his work on computerized means of compressing digital video transmission."</ref> He is possibly best known for his role in an October 2000 ] (IDF) investigation into the controversial shooting incident of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, ] for which he was awarded the 2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism.<ref>{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref>


==Background== ==Background==
Shahaf served as an ] (IDF) ] from 1964 to 1966. He attended ] from 1970 to 1977, where he completed his ] and ] degrees in ] with ]. After graduating, he spent two years as a member of the ] development team at ] and was in charge of incorporating the CT technology into ].<ref name="cv">{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref> From 1981 to 1988, he worked at ] on ] and video instrumentation for the IDF and was among the field's leading developers.<ref name="cv" /><ref name=Fallows></ref><ref name="Lord"></ref> He then worked on attack helicopter missile systems at ] from 1989 to 1991.<ref name="cv" /> Shahaf has also served as a physicist for the optical intelligence unit of the IDF.<ref name="Lord"></ref> In 1991, he founded Natop, an electro-optics and image enhancement company.<ref name="res">{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref>
According to Israeli reporter ], Shahaf worked for the optical intelligence unit of the ] (IDF) as a physicist, and contributed to the development of ] and video instrumentation. During the 1991 ], he investigated the damage done by Iraqi ] missiles fired against Israel, and concluded that ]s contributed to the damage.<ref name="Lord"></ref> He received an ] award for creativity in 1997 for his work on compressed digital video transmission.<ref name=Fallows />


Shahaf received, along with fellow scientist ], an 1997 ] Fellowship and an award for creativity in for their work on compressed digital video transmission.<ref name=Fallows>.</ref>
Shahaf describes himself as "a scientist, a physicist specialized in ballistics and the technology of filming images."<ref name="Guysen">{{dead link|date=March 2010}} ] interviews Nahum Shahaf ()</ref>


⚫ == Al-Durrah investigation==
==Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories==
⚫ {{main|Muhammad al-Durrah incident}}
{{main|Yitzhak Rabin assassination conspiracy theories}}
In 2000, Shahaf approached IDF ] Major General ] and proposed an investigation of the al-Durrah shooting. Samia agreed, and on October 23, 2000, Shahaf helped to arrange a re-enactment of the shooting on an IDF shooting range, in front of a CBS '']'' camera crew. In late November 2000, at the conclusion of the inquiry, General Samia presented his findings at a press conference.<ref name="CNN">{{dead link|Date=March 2010}} AP - November 27, 2000</ref> The IDF accepted the investigations' determination that Israeli soldiers were not responsible but refused to accept the suggestion that the images may have been staged.


Initial response to the investigation was critical. Israeli newspaper Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post argued that Shahaf had no ballistics experience, and Haaretz described his investigation as "dubious."<ref name=Cygielman>.</ref><ref> "media conspiracy theory ... troops could not have shot the child" The Age (Australia), 26th Oct 2007. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.</ref><ref> "the fountainhead of al-Dura conspiracy mania" Jerusalem Post, 28th May 2008. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.</ref><ref>Derfner, Larry . Shahaf "pioneered ... conspiracy theory after cutting his teeth on the Rabin assassination" Jerusalem Post, 18th June 2008. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.</ref><ref> "eccentric obsession .. also obtained "amazing material" on the murder of Yitzhak Rabin" Haaretz, 7th Oct 2007. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.</ref> In response to criticism on his credentials and experience, Shahaf responded that he is "a scientist, a physicist specialized in ballistics and the technology of filming images."<ref name="Guysen">] interviews Nahum Shahaf]<br>()</ref> Shahaf is currently suing Haaretz for libel.<ref>{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref>
During the late 1990s, Shahaf participated in a campaign to prove the innocence of ], the assassin of ] ] in 1995. Although Amir had been arrested on the spot and had confessed to the killing, Shahaf asserted that he had photographic evidence that the wrong man was being held for the assassination. He blamed the assassination on a conspiracy headed by ], who took over from Rabin as Prime Minister and later became the ].<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Loughlin|first=Ed|title=Truth is sometimes caught in crossfire|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/truth-is-sometimes-caught-in-crossfire/2007/10/05/1191091362085.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=October 6, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite|work=Authorizing Appropriation for Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003 for the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and for Other Purposes: Hearings and Markup Before the Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives and the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session, February 14, February 28, March 1, and March 7, 2001 and Markup of H.R. 1646 on May 2, 2001.|author=United States Congress House of Representatives Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights|volume=8-16|page=192|date=2001|publisher=US G.P.O.}}</ref>


Shahaf's investigation into the incident was later supported by an external French ballistics expert and 2 investigative documentaries by German network ARD. The original "raw" footage was presented in French courts in late 2007 in the midst of a libel suit filed by France 2 against a French media critique, Phillip Karsenty, resulting in the court asserting that the original report has not been properly established. Follow up reports on the al-Durrah incident break-down into those who agree with Shahaf's main analysis, that the original news report, which asserted the death of the boy was inflicted by Israeli bullets, was faulty; and those asserting that the investigation into the matter is a "conspiracy mania". Journalist ] writes that:
⚫ ==Al-Durrah investigation==
<blockquote>"It now appears that the boy cannot have died in the way reported by most of the world's media and fervently believed throughout the Islamic world. Whatever happened to him, he was not shot by the Israeli soldiers who were known to be involved in the day's fighting—or so I am convinced, after spending a week in Israel talking with those examining the case."<ref name=Fallows/></blockquote>
⚫ {{main|Muhammad al-Durrah incident}}
Shortly after the al-Durrah shooting in September 2000, for which the ] had initially admitted responsibility, Shahaf approached IDF ] head Major General ]. Shahaf was already well known to Samia, having previously done work for the IDF.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Cordesman|first1=Anthony|last2=Moravitz|first2=Jennifer|title=The Israeli-Palestinian war: escalating to nowhere|page=372|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2005|isbn=9780275987589}}</ref> Shahaf proposed that he and Joseph Doriel, an engineer with whom Shahaf had previously collaborated during work on ], should undertake an investigation into the shooting on behalf of Samia.<ref name=Cygielman /> Samia agreed, and on October 23, 2000, Shahaf helped to arrange a re-enactment of the shooting on an IDF shooting range, in front of a CBS '']'' camera crew. In late November 2000, at the conclusion of the inquiry, Samia presented his findings at a press conference, explaining that the findings were "based on measurements, bullet angles and evidence that the Palestinian boy was hit by a volley of gunfire while Israeli soldiers were firing only single shots."<ref name="CNN">{{dead link|Date=March 2010}} AP - November 27, 2000</ref>


===Media criticism award===
The investigation met with a mixed response. Doriel had been dismissed by Samia during the course of the investigation and when the results were announced, it was strongly criticised by some in the Israeli media. The Israeli newspapers ''Haaretz'' and the ''Jerusalem Post'' argued that Shahaf had no ballistics experience and ''Haaretz'' described his investigation as "dubious."<ref name=Cygielman>.</ref> His previous involvement in raising doubts about the identity of Rabin's killer became the subject of controversy.<ref>Schwartz, Adi (2007). "", ''Haaretz'', November 8, 2007, accessed January 24, 2010.</ref> Shahaf, however, pursued the case and devoted years to the matter,<ref name="Levy">Levy, Gideon. . ''Haaretz'', October 7, 2007, accessed October 23, 2008.</ref> having "spent months painstakingly collecting, wheedling, even buying footage from reluctant cameramen, and then spliced the pieces together in rough temporal order in an attempt to make an unbroken film of the day."<ref>''The other war: Israelis, Palestinians, and the struggle for media supremacy'', Stephanie Gutmann, Encounter Books, 2005, p. 75.</ref> He has promoted a theory that al-Durrah was not killed by the IDF and may still be alive.<ref>{{cite news|last=Temple-Raston|first=Dina|title=Engineer Casts Doubt on Veracity of Claims That Israelis Killed Palestinian Boy in 2000|url=http://www.nysun.com/foreign/engineer-casts-doubt-on-veracity-of-claims-that/10581/|work=The New York Sun|date=March 15, 2005}}</ref> Following ''Haaretz's'' reporting of his work on the al-Durrah case, which editor ] criticised as an "eccentic obsession" in an October 2007 article,<ref name="Levy" /> Shahaf filed a ] lawsuit against the newspaper in December 2007 charging that ''Haaretz's'' coverage had "led investors to flee" from one of his inventions and demanding 400 million ] (US $103 million) in damages.<ref>{{cite news|title=400 million lawsuit against Haaretz|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/4/ART1/667/290.html|work=NRG|language=Hebrew|date=December 5, 2007}}</ref>
Shahaf received the ''2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism'' from '']'' association ({{lang-he|האגודה לזכות הציבור לדעת}}),<ref>{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} </ref> for what the awarding panel described as "revealing the truth behind news fabrications" in relation to the Al-Durrah incident.<ref></ref><ref>{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} {{dead link|date=March 2010}} זוכי פרס ביקורת התקשורת: שחף וקרבצ'יק</ref><ref>{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} פרסים מטעם האגודה לזכות הציבור לדעת ליבגניה קרבצ'יק, נחום שחף וגיא רולניק</ref>


==Notes== ==Notes==
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==References== ==References==
*Cygielman, Anat (2000). , ''Haaretz'', November 7, 2000, accessed March 22, 2010. * Cygielman, Anat (2000). , ''Haaretz'', November 7, 2000, accessed March 22, 2010.
*] (2003). , ''The Atlantic'', June 2003, accessed March 21, 2010. *] (2003). , ''The Atlantic'', June 2003, accessed March 21, 2010.


==External websites== ==External websites==

* *
*
⚫ *{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}
*{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}} *{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}
⚫ *{{languageicon|he|Hebrew}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahaf, Nahum}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Shahaf, Nahum}}
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] ]
]

Revision as of 16:14, 24 March 2010

Nahum Shahaf (Template:Lang-he; born June 2, 1946) is an Israeli physicist and current president Natop, an electro-optics and image enhancement company he founded. He was one of the leading developers of Israel's unmanned aerial vehicles, and received an Israeli Ministry of Science award for creativity in 1997 for his work on compressed digital video transmission. He is possibly best known for his role in an October 2000 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) investigation into the controversial shooting incident of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, Muhammad al-Durrah for which he was awarded the 2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism.

Background

Shahaf served as an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) paratrooper from 1964 to 1966. He attended Bar-Ilan University from 1970 to 1977, where he completed his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Physics with honors. After graduating, he spent two years as a member of the computerized tomography development team at Elscint and was in charge of incorporating the CT technology into Radiation Treatment Planning. From 1981 to 1988, he worked at Tadiran on unmanned aerial vehicles and video instrumentation for the IDF and was among the field's leading developers. He then worked on attack helicopter missile systems at Israel Aerospace Industries from 1989 to 1991. Shahaf has also served as a physicist for the optical intelligence unit of the IDF. In 1991, he founded Natop, an electro-optics and image enhancement company.

Shahaf received, along with fellow scientist Meir Danino, an 1997 Israeli Ministry of Science Fellowship and an award for creativity in for their work on compressed digital video transmission.

Al-Durrah investigation

Main article: Muhammad al-Durrah incident

In 2000, Shahaf approached IDF Southern Commander Major General Yom Tov Samia and proposed an investigation of the al-Durrah shooting. Samia agreed, and on October 23, 2000, Shahaf helped to arrange a re-enactment of the shooting on an IDF shooting range, in front of a CBS 60 Minutes camera crew. In late November 2000, at the conclusion of the inquiry, General Samia presented his findings at a press conference. The IDF accepted the investigations' determination that Israeli soldiers were not responsible but refused to accept the suggestion that the images may have been staged.

Initial response to the investigation was critical. Israeli newspaper Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post argued that Shahaf had no ballistics experience, and Haaretz described his investigation as "dubious." In response to criticism on his credentials and experience, Shahaf responded that he is "a scientist, a physicist specialized in ballistics and the technology of filming images." Shahaf is currently suing Haaretz for libel.

Shahaf's investigation into the incident was later supported by an external French ballistics expert and 2 investigative documentaries by German network ARD. The original "raw" footage was presented in French courts in late 2007 in the midst of a libel suit filed by France 2 against a French media critique, Phillip Karsenty, resulting in the court asserting that the original report has not been properly established. Follow up reports on the al-Durrah incident break-down into those who agree with Shahaf's main analysis, that the original news report, which asserted the death of the boy was inflicted by Israeli bullets, was faulty; and those asserting that the investigation into the matter is a "conspiracy mania". Journalist James Fallows writes that:

"It now appears that the boy cannot have died in the way reported by most of the world's media and fervently believed throughout the Islamic world. Whatever happened to him, he was not shot by the Israeli soldiers who were known to be involved in the day's fighting—or so I am convinced, after spending a week in Israel talking with those examining the case."

Media criticism award

Shahaf received the 2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism from Israel's Media Watch association (Template:Lang-he), for what the awarding panel described as "revealing the truth behind news fabrications" in relation to the Al-Durrah incident.

Notes

  1. Israeli Census - Verified March 23, 2010
  2. ^ Template:Languageicon נחום שחף - קורות חיים
  3. ^ Who Killed Muhammad Al-Dura? Blood Libel-- Model 2000 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Amnon Lord 15 July 2002 Cite error: The named reference "Lord" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. Fallows 2003: "Before getting involved in the al-Dura case, Shahaf was known mainly as an inventor. He was only the tenth person to receive a medal from the Israeli Ministry of Science, for his work on computerized means of compressing digital video transmission."
  5. Template:Languageicon Press release - 2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism
  6. ^ Template:Languageicon נחום שחף - קורות חיים
  7. ^ Fallows 2003 Cite error: The named reference "Fallows" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. Israel claims Palestinian gunmen may have shot boy in high-profile killing AP - November 27, 2000
  9. Cygielman 2000.
  10. Battle rages over fateful footage "media conspiracy theory ... troops could not have shot the child" The Age (Australia), 26th Oct 2007. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.
  11. Al-Dura and the conspiracy freaks "the fountainhead of al-Dura conspiracy mania" Jerusalem Post, 28th May 2008. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.
  12. Derfner, Larry Get real about Muhammad al-Dura. Shahaf "pioneered ... conspiracy theory after cutting his teeth on the Rabin assassination" Jerusalem Post, 18th June 2008. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.
  13. Mohammed al-Dura lives on "eccentric obsession .. also obtained "amazing material" on the murder of Yitzhak Rabin" Haaretz, 7th Oct 2007. Verified 23rd Oct 2008.
  14. The Mohamad A-Dura affair: a gross imposture? MENA interviews Nahum Shahaf
    (Copy)
  15. Template:Languageicon תביעה בסך 400 מיליון נגד "הארץ"
  16. Template:Languageicon Press release - 2007 Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism
  17. Israel Media Watch Awards 2008
  18. Template:Languageicon Omedia זוכי פרס ביקורת התקשורת: שחף וקרבצ'יק
  19. Template:Languageicon Haaretz פרסים מטעם האגודה לזכות הציבור לדעת ליבגניה קרבצ'יק, נחום שחף וגיא רולניק

References

External websites

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