The European Union and the United States have reacted indignantly to the violence that the Israeli police used on Friday in East Jerusalem against the funeral procession of the shot dead Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh (51). The European Union said it was “shocked” by the “unnecessary violence”.
Washington said it was “deeply troubled.” Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said every family has the right to say goodbye to their loved ones “with dignity and without hindrance”.
Thousands of people had gathered in Jerusalem’s Old City on Friday to bid farewell to Abu Akleh. On images of Al Jazeera could be seen how the police hit the funeral procession hard. As a result, Abu Akleh’s coffin nearly fell to the ground.
Glass bottles
According to the Red Crescent aid organization, 33 people were injured. Six of them were taken to hospital. Israeli authorities said six mourners had been arrested for throwing rocks and glass bottles.
According to Israel, the police intervened because hundreds of rioters disrupted public order. A journalist from Al Jazeera said, however, that Israeli security forces did not want mourners to accompany Abu Akleh’s coffin and that the Israelis used force because of this.
stray bullet
Abu Akleh died Wednesday while reporting an Israeli army raid on the occupied West Bank. An initial investigation by the Israeli police states that it is not possible to determine who fired the bullet that killed Abu Akleh. According to the Israeli police, the bullet came from a Palestinian gunman or a stray bullet from an Israeli sniper.
The Palestinian Prosecutor’s Office in the West Bank city of Ramallah later said preliminary results of an investigation show that Israeli soldiers killed Abu Akleh.
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