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Rachel Corrie (April 10, 1979 - March 16, 2003) was a peace activist who was run over and killed by an Israeli soldier operated bulldozer while she was protesting Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip.
Corrie's death sparked controversy because she was a U.S. citizen killed during a non-violent protest, yet the U.S. has not conducted its own investigation or demanded an independent one, and Israel has cleared its soldiers of responsibility while refusing to release any investigation documents.
Background
Rachel Corrie was the daughter of Craig Corrie, an insurance executive, and Cindy Corrie, a flutist and a school volunteer. She was raised in Olympia, Washington, U.S.A.. After graduating from Capitol High School, she went on to Evergreen State College, where she studied the arts and international relations. Corrie aspired to be a writer or an artist and dabbled in political activism. During college years, Rachel joined the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace and participated in peace and environmental activities. In her senior year she took a leave of absence to participate in ISM organized peaceful demonstrations against the Israeli occupation of Palestine and to initiate a sister city project between her hometown Olympia and Rafah.
Activities in Gaza
On January 18, 2003, Corrie travelled to the Gaza Strip to join other ISM activists in direct action for peace and against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In the following two months she participated in a variety of actions including:
- Protesting and disrupting Israeli army demolitions of Palestinian homes by acting as a human shield.
- Protecting Palestinian civilians by placing herself between the Israeli troops and Palestinians. Israeli troops once fired bullets over the activist tent and at the ground nearby.
- Protecting Palestinian wells from destruction by the Israeli army, by surrounding the wells as human shields. (see photo, left)
Corrie also served as a "human rights observer" of the actions of Israeli troops in the area. She documented the destruction of 25 Palestinian greenhouses and the digging up of the road to Gaza City by the Israeli army. She documented that Israeli soldiers fired shots at Rafah Municipal Water Authority workers who were rebuilding two wells demolished by the Israeli military. Corrie also wrote about smuggling tunnels in Gaza (see item 4.)
During her stay, Corrie denounced the Bush administration for its alleged complicity in crimes against Palestinians and participated in a demonstration against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where she burned a paper-drawn US flag (but refused to burn an Israeli flag, stating that as a US citizen she could only bear responsibility for opposing US actions.)
Corrie frequently met with local Palestinians and spent several days and nights with Palestinian families in Rafah. She also helped a Palestinian boy with his English homework, played soccer and danced with Palestinian children. Corrie was also involved in a children's pen pal program between the Gaza Strip and the U.S.
While in Rafah, Corrie communicated by e-mail with "Danny," an Israeli army reserve officer who refused to serve in Palestinian territories. He wrote to her: "You are doing a good thing. I thank you for it," and asked her to "document as much as you can and do not embellish anything with creative writing."
In her emails to family Corrie described what she witnessed and expressed a deep disappointment with the destruction and injustice being done to Palestinians by Israel on daily basis. On March 14, in an interview to the Middle East Broadcasting, Corrie said: "I feel like I'm witnessing the systematic destruction of a people's ability to survive. It's horrifying. It takes a while to get what's happening here. People here are trying to maintain their lives, trying to be happy. Sometimes I sit down to dinner with people and I realize there is a massive military machine surrounding us, trying to kill the people I'm having dinner with."
Corrie's death
The Israeli military frequently used armored bulldozers to destroy buildings and farmland in Rafah, along the road near the border with Egypt, claiming that the demolitions were intended to uncover explosive devices and destroy smuggling tunnels. The Israeli military killed several Palestinian civilians during these demolitions . Many consider these Israeli actions to be a form of collective punishment in violaton of international law.
On March 16, 2003, Corrie was in a group of seven ISM activists (three British and four Americans) attempting to disrupt house demolitions in Rafah.
Two armored bulldozers, supported by an armored combat engineering vehicle (CEV) and Israeli troops, were operating in the area that day. From 1:30pm, the peace activists began disrupting the demolitions by standing in front of bulldozers and shouting at the operators through a megaphone to stop the demolitions. Israeli soldiers used tear gas and fired live bullets at activists' feet or in the air to disperse them; protesters later regrouped.
The ISM claims that its office informed the British and American embassies between 2:00pm and 3:00pm that Israeli army bulldozers were behaving aggressively and endangering the lives of protesters, but that embassies took no action.
According to eyewitness acounts, Corrie followed the standard technique of sitting, kneeling or standing on top of the pile of debris in front of the bulldozer. Several times that day, the bulldozers stopped directly at her feet.
Corrie was wearing a high-visibility orange fluorescent jacket with reflective strips. She had been using a megaphone earlier in the day (see photo, left), but not at the time she was killed.
Around 4:45pm, Corrie was in front of a house where activists had stayed previously, owned by Dr. Samir Nasrallah, a Palestinian pharmacist, to prevent its expected demolition. Most other structures in the area had already been demolished by the Israeli army; Nasrallah's family home now stood alone in a sea of sand and debris .
One bulldozer began approaching the house. Corrie was about 15 meters in front of the bulldozer, waving her arms and shouting. The bulldozer continued driving towards her.
Corrie was sitting (or kneeling) on a pile of debris. The bulldozer drove slowly toward her, gathering earth in its scoop. Corrie did not move. When the bulldozer began moving the earth beneath her, Corrie climbed onto the growing pile being pushed by the bulldozer. At this point, her head was at eye-level with the cabin of the bulldozer, with 2 operators inside. The bulldozer continued moving forwards, pushing the pile with Corrie on top, causing her to slip down and fall on her knees. As the bulldozer continued, her legs were pulled into the pile.
Other ISM activists started shouting at the bulldozer drivers to stop, pointing towards Corrie. But the bulldozer continued and the plow blade pushed her deep into the debris. The bulldozer continued forward, moving the lowered plow blade over Corrie's body until she was beneath the driver cabin. The bulldozer then stopped, waited a few seconds, and then reversed direction. The plow blade was still pressed down and it scraped over Corrie's body a second time.
Corrie suffered massive injuries from the bulldozer blade. According to the autopsy report, her skull was fractured, ribs shattered and lungs punctured.
The bulldozers then withdrew and stopped more than 20 meters away. The tank with Israeli soldiers guarding the bulldozers approached the scene and activists shouted that Corrie had been run over and might die. The soldiers did not get out, ask any questions or offer any help; they talked on their radios, then withdrew and parked the tank between the bulldozers.
One activist ran to the Nasrallah's house to ask for his help and to call an ambulance. A Red Crescent ambulance arrived between 5:00pm and 5:15pm and the activists formed a shield around Palestinian ambulance workers (Israeli tanks had often fired at ambulance workers in the past .)
Corrie was taken to the local Al-Najar hospital where she was pronounced dead at 5:20pm (one witness said that she died while in the ambulance).
Cause of death
An initial autopsy was performed at the Israeli National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. The Olympian reported that the autopsy report of March 20 concluded that Corrie's "death was caused by pressure on the chest from a mechanical apparatus".
Israel at first denied that she was run over, then claimed that her injuries were caused by falling debris and, finally, that she was injured by a slab of concrete in the debris. The Jerusalem Post article on June 26, 2003 stated that "An autopsy found that the cause of Corrie’s death was falling debris".
Responsibility for Corrie's death
Several eyewitnesses charged that the bulldozer operator crushed Corrie deliberately and called her killing "a war crime." Israel claims that the killing was an accident.
The bulldozers had been in the area for two hours, and were certainly aware of the protesters and their activities. They had seen Corrie and stopped in front of her several times that day. Witness statements by fellow ISM activists indicate that Corrie would have been clearly visible to the drivers while she was standing on top of the pile of rubble in front of the driver. She was wearing a bright orange reflective jacket at the time.
However, according to some who claim to have read unpublished reports of the Israeli military and judiciary, the bulldozer operators claimed that they never saw or heard Corrie.
Whether other Israeli soldiers from the armored support group saw Corrie and, if so, why they didn't react is unclear because their statements have not been published. Caterpillar D9 bulldozers have a restricted field of vision; because of this Israeli army rules require other soldiers at the scene to assist in directing the bulldozer.
The Israeli army has declined to comment on this issue. The Israel army commander of Gaza Strip claimed in an interview to the Israeli TV that soldiers had to stay in their armored vehicles and could not direct the bulldozer or arrest the protesters because of a potential threat of Palestinian snipers. He also speculated that Israeli soldiers may have been handling other ISM activists instead of watching over the bulldozer. However, critics point out that soldiers had intervened that day to disperse the activists, and the four ISM activists in the vicinity were not "handled" by soldiers at that time.
The Israeli government had promised a "thorough, credible, and transparent investigation" to the U.S.. Later, however, Israel declared the killing a "regrettable accident" and blamed it on Corrie and ISM activists, but refused to release investigation reports or any other documents, even to the U.S.. Israel allowed only two American embassy staffers to read selected parts. Richard LeBaron, the US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission in Tel Aviv, stated that "there are several inconsistencies worthy of note" in the report.
The ISM rejected the Israeli report stating that here the military was investigating itself and that the army conclusion was contrary to eyewitness reports. Tom Wallace, an ISM spokesman, said that the Israel’s investigation had been far from credible and transparent.
On March 25, 2003, Brian Baird, a U.S. Representative from Corrie's home state, introduced a bill (H.R. 111) in the U.S. Congress, calling on the U.S. government to "undertake a full, fair, and expeditious investigation into the death of Rachel Corrie." The bill, however, has received support of only 56 representatives so far and has little chance of passage.
The Corrie family continues to call for a U.S. investigation into Rachel's death.
Reactions to Corrie's death
Corrie's death has been condemned by many as the murder of a peaceful civilian. Corrie's supporters have contrasted the U.S. government's silence over Corrie's killing with the U.S. government's prompt condemnation of the killing of three US diplomats, allegedly by a Palestinian militant faction, that same year.
A spokesman for the Israeli army called the killing a "regrettable accident," adding that Corrie and the other ISM activists were "a group of protesters who were acting very irresponsibly, putting everyone in danger - the Palestinians, themselves and our forces - by intentionally placing themselves in a combat zone." Israel maintains that its soldiers forces were not at fault, and has announced that it will implement changes, such as arresting activists or forcing them to disperse, and installing video cameras on bulldozers to cover blind spots.
Amnesty International USA condemned Corrie's killing and on March 17 called for an independent inquiry. Their advocacy director for the Middle East said that "US-made bulldozers have been 'weaponized' and their transfer to Israel must be suspended".
The City of Santa Cruz, California, proclaimed March 16 'Rachel Corrie Day' and Mayor Scott Kennedy said in a statement: "It is a very sad commentary on the state of political affairs in the United States that our national government has done virtually nothing to find out what happened and to insist that those responsible for her death be held accountable."
In Rafah and elsewhere in the Palestinian territories, portrait posters of Corrie were plastered to walls, with slogans such as "Rachel did not die. She lives in our hearts." Corrie's picture continues to be used in protests against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. A Palestinian couple (Salah and Rania Noureddine) named their newborn child Rachel Corrie saying that their daughter would be "a symbol for them and all honest people in the Arab world."
On March 18, Israeli forces used tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to break up a memorial service held at the place where Corrie died. The service was attended by 40 to 100 people, including Dr. Samir Nasrallah. Israeli armored vehicles fired tear gas and concussion grenades near attendants, fired gun shots in the air and tanks chased some activists. The bulldozer that killed Corrie also apeared in the area.
On April 25, 15 people, including British citizens Asif Hanif and Omar Khan Sharif, went to the site of Corrie's death, where they placed a flower. Five days later Hanif and Sharif carried out a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, killing three civilians. Citing this event, the Israeli government imposed new restrictions on all peace activists: besides severely restricting their entry, Israel began requiring all activists to sign a waiver releasing Israel from any responsibility for their injury or death.
The Chicago Tribune reported on 15 July 2003 that "to the people of Rafah, Rachel Corrie will always remain a very special martyr, their American martyr".
One demolished Palestinian family home was rebuilt in October of 2003 and dedicated to the memory of Rachel Corrie, but was ordered to be demolished by Israel.
Postscript
In the next two months after Corrie's death, Israelii army shot and killed two British peace observers (not associated with Corrie's group). On November 2, 2003, the British TV channel BBC broadcast a documentary titled "When Killing is Easy" about the killings of Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurndall and James Miller.
The house which Rachel Corrie tried to protect when she was killed was demolished by Israel after peace activists left.
External links and references
Israeli reports
Articles with quotes from the Israeli reports which have not been made public:
- Israeli report clears troops over US death - from UK's The Guardian
- Accounts of Corrie's death still conflict - from The Olympian, June 14, 2003
Commentary and link sites
- Rachel Corrie Memorial Website - list of links to opinions, articles, etc - one of several sites.
- Rachel Corrie and ISM Links -- at landofisrael.info
- Statements and Eyewitness Reports - links from an "In memoriam" site.
- No Cameras weblog - An Olympia resident writes about Corrie's death: , , , , ,
- "The death of Rachel Corrie ...", an in-depth commentary by Joshua Hammer.