The death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is not an isolated episode, but evidence of a system that violates the most basic rights of Palestinians. Among them, the right to a dignified funeral, to rest in peace.
Akleh, an icon of Arab journalism, was killed on Wednesday (11) during an Israeli operation in the West Bank. The Al Jazeera news network, where she worked, claims that the shooting came from Israel, something that witnesses corroborate — but that the government is doubting for now.
The situation was already dangerously volatile, but Israel managed to worsen it this Friday (13), when its forces attacked Akleh’s funeral procession in Jerusalem. The footage captures the horror, showing the coffin tottering on the shoulders of Palestinians under attack.
Funerals are so sacred, even in a secular sense, that it’s hard not to be dumbfounded by Israeli actions. The events of the last few days seem to reflect just how much the Israeli government fears Palestinian identity, its symbols and its claims to a sovereign state.
According to Palestinian accounts, repeated in a flurry of denunciations in the press and on social media, Israelis raided Akleh’s home on the day she was killed and removed a Palestinian flag. On Thursday, authorities summoned the journalist’s brother and ordered that the funeral be free of nationalist flags and messages.
That is, of course, not what happened. The procession, reported live on Al Jazeera, was marked by chants like “With our soul, with our blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Shireen”—a classic formula for protest in Arabic. Protesters ululated in homage.
The demonstrations apparently worried Israel. According to Al Jazeera, at least four people were detained, including two men waving flags. Footage shows Israeli forces removing a flag from the car with the coffin. The government had placed a series of controls on the streets, temporarily preventing the procession from passing.
Akleh, 51, was an icon because he worked, under extreme circumstances, to report events. His voice informed an entire generation of Palestinians. It is an inherently risky job. According to Palestinian authorities, at least 45 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since 2000. The Palestinian journalists’ union says there were 55.
Palestinian criticism in those days was not limited to Israel and the brutality of its security forces. There was also a protest against part of the international press — which, as usual, reported “conflicts” in the region. As so many pointed out on Friday, it is unthinkable to speak of clashes when footage shows gunmen attacking a coffin during a funeral.
It caused fury, too, when Forbes magazine reported Akleh’s death “after being hit in the head by a bullet”. As if it were an accident, a thing of chance.
This is a long-standing criticism of Palestinians, who accuse the press of partial coverage — something Israelis do too. This idea, however, has gained strength in recent years and has gradually changed how journalists refer to the plight of Palestinians.
Activists circulate pamphlets explaining the history of the region and unraveling the terms they consider unfair, as they do not account for the inequality of these forces.
Akleh’s body was taken from Jenin, where he died, to Jerusalem. She was buried at Mount Zion Protestant Cemetery, next to her parents. In a rare moment of understanding between Jerusalem’s different Christian denominations, church bells rang in unison across the city.
