The scenes of violence from Jerusalem are shocking: because they wanted to confiscate banned Palestinian flags, Israeli police officers attacked the group of mourners who were carrying the coffin of Al Jazeera employee Shireen Abu Akleh out of the hospital.
Again and again the officials even beat the coffin bearers with their batons – in front of the TV cameras of the world, without respect for the peace of the dead, without respect for the mourning.
Shireen Abu Akleh was fatally injured by a projectile while filming in the West Bank on Wednesday.
The TV journalist, a Palestinian Christian, was held in high esteem by the population. Her funeral in her native city of Jerusalem drew thousands of people.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed shock. “The EU condemns the disproportionate use of force and the disrespectful behavior of the Israeli police towards the participants in the funeral procession.”
Jen Psaki, the US President’s spokeswoman, criticized the incident and commented on the “deeply disturbing” images: The United States had “respected the funeral procession, the mourners and the family at this sensitive time.”
