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Revision as of 20:18, 25 August 2008 by Elonka (talk | contribs) (→Work on the Al-Dura incident: - removing BLP violations, see talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Nahum Shahaf (Template:Lang-he) (1946- ) is an Israeli physicist. After completion of his master's degree in 1977 at Bar-Ilan University, he went on to become a leading figure in the Israeli unmanned aircraft development industry and also received an Israeli science ministry award in 1997 for scientific ingenuity in the field of image compression. Shahaf is also known for his controversial role in leading an investigation into the shooting report of 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah in September of 2000 where, after investigation, he reported his belief that it is highly unlikely that Israeli soldiers killed the boy and that it is highly probable that the entire incident was staged by the local Palestinians.
He is currently the president of Natop, an electro-optics and image enhancement company.
Background
Shahaf completed his master's degree in 1977 at Bar-Ilan University. As an Elcint employee he helped develop CT technology. From 1981, he had worked with the IDF on developing unmanned Israeli aircraft at Tadiran heading the unit that formulated strategy in the area of visual intelligence. In 1989, he moved to Israel Aircraft Industries to develop helicopter missile technologies. In 1994, in connection with his work at Israel Aircraft Industries, he and fellow inventor Moshe Meidan applied for a United States patent for developing a method and system for moving object detection.
In 1991, he set up the Natuf Company, developed a system to compress video material, for which he was awarded a Science Ministry prize. He applied for a patent for a see-through protective wall , as well as a system to protect buildings from cellular antenna radiation.
According to Israeli reporter Amnon Lord, "Nahum Shahaf has worked in Israel's defense establishment as a physicist for the optical intelligence unit of the IDF. He has contributed much in various ways to the defense system, and was among the leading developers of pilotless light aircraft and video instrumentation. Shahaf investigated the damage done by the Iraqi missiles in 1991, and concluded that part of the damage was caused by Patriot missiles."
A Fellow at the Israel Ministry of Science and recipient of the Ministry's creativity prize in 1997, Shahaf describes his work as "a scientist, a physicist specialized in ballistics and the technology of filming images."
Work on the Al-Dura incident
After he approached IDF Southern Commander Major General Yom Tov Samia, Shahaf was asked to begin a second investigation of the case. 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 of 2000, at the conclusion of the inquiry, General 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."
According to Shahaf:
I believe that one day there will be good things in common between us and the Palestinians.…But the case of Mohammed al-Dura brings the big flames between Israel and the Palestinians and Arabs. It brings a big wall of hate. They can say this is the proof, the ultimate proof, that Israeli soldiers are boy-murderers. And that hatred breaks any chance of having something good in the future.
Shahaf has been criticized for his work on the Al-Durrah case, and has been described by journalist James Fallows as someone who has given himself "entirely to a cause .. and can talk about its ramifications as long as anyone will listen". He has also received the Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism from the media watchdog group Israel's Media Watch in 2008 for what the group described as "revealing the truth behind news fabrications" in relation to the Al-Dura incident.
References
- ^ Who Killed Muhammad Al-Dura? Blood Libel-- Model 2000 Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs Amnon Lord 15 July 2002
- ^ נחום שחף - קורות חיים Template:Languageicon
- ^ Fallows, James. "Who shot Mohammed al-Durra?", The Atlantic Monthly, June 2003.
- Who Killed Muhammad Al-Dura? Blood Libel -- Model 2000
- 5/3/94 Patent Storm
- (WO/2002/055797) SEE-THROUGH PROTECTIVE WALLS AND BARRIERS
- The Mohamad A-Dura affair: a gross imposture? MENA interviews Nahum Shahaf
- Israel claims Palestinian gunmen may have shot boy in high-profile killing AP - November 27, 2000
- The Israeli-Palestinian War: Escalating to Nowhere p. 373 by Anthony H. Cordesman and Jennifer Moravitz Greenwood Publishing Group 2005
- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/909972.html
- http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1211872839035
- The Abramowitz Israeli Prize for Media Criticism, Israel Media Watch
- Israel Media Watch Awards 2008
External websites
- Shahaf's website in English
- Sharaf's website in Hebrew
- Israel's Media Watch in English
- Metula News Agency