Israeli Court Throws Out Suit Over US Activist’s Death

Posted August 28th, 2012 at 5:40 pm (UTC-5)
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An Israeli court has thrown out a lawsuit brought against the army by the family of a U.S. pro-Palestinian activist crushed to death by an army bulldozer in 2003.

Judge Oded Gershon Tuesday called Rachel Corrie's death a “regrettable accident.” But he said Corrie put herself in a dangerous situation in a war zone and that the bulldozer's driver did not see her. The army's own investigation also ruled the death an accident.

But Corrie's family accuses the Israeli government of a cover-up. Some fellow activists who witnessed her death say the driver intentionally ran her over. The human rights group Amnesty International says the verdict ignores what it calls “deep flaws” into the army's investigation.

Corrie's family plans to appeal the verdict to the Israeli Supreme Court.

Corrie belonged to the pro-Palestinian group the International Solidarity Movement. She was killed in the West Bank city of Rafah when she and other activists tried to stop Israeli soldiers from demolishing Palestinian homes in March 2003. The army said the homes were used to attack Jewish settlers.