Israeli police forces clashed with Palestinians during the May 13 funeral procession for Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed during an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) raid earlier in the week.
Abu Akleh was shot in the head while she was covering the May 11 raid in Jenin, from where Palestinian terrorists had been entering into Israel illegally. She was wearing a vest demarcating herself as “press” at the time of raid; it is currently unclear as to whether or not she was killed by Israeli or Palestinian gunfire. Abu Akleh, herself a Palestinian, was well-known to Palestinians for her reporting on the Palestinian territories and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at large.
During the procession––which started at the Jaffa Gate in Old City Jerusalem and ended at the Mount Zion cemetery, where Abu Akleh was laid to rest––Israeli authorities charged the mourners and started taking down the Palestinian flags they were holding. The Israeli police’s actions prompted White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki to say the scenes from the procession were “disturbing” and the European Union to condemn the Israeli police’s “disproportionate use of force and the disrespectful behavior,” per The Times of Israel (TOI).
The Israeli police defended their actions, claiming in a Twitter thread that “before and at the beginning of the funeral procession, riots broke out in the hospital plaza.” “The rioters hurled stones and other objects toward the police officers who, in response, acted to disperse the riot,” they wrote. “The officers arrested a handful of the rioters in order to allow the funeral to continue in a safe and lawful manner. The stones and objects were hurled at officers from rioters who were near the coffin at the hospital. These rioters damaged the funeral procession vehicle, even trying to prevent it from driving once the coffin was inside.”
The police added that “there are those who choose to cynically use the death of the journalist with ill intent” and later shared a video purportedly showing “rioters hiding near and under the coffin after throwing stones and other objects at Israel Police officers in Jerusalem.”
Israel police officers have been working in Jerusalem in recent hours to ensure Sheerin Abu-Akla's funeral will go smoothly. Both before and at the beginning of the funeral procession, riots broke out in the hospital plaza
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
The rioters hurled stones and other objects toward the police officers who, in response, acted to disperse the riot. The officers arrested a handful of the rioters in order to allow the funeral to continue in a safe and lawful manner
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
The stones and objects were hurled at officers from rioters who were near the coffin at the hospital. These rioters damaged the funeral procession vehicle, even trying to prevent it from driving once the coffin was inside
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
Israel Police forces operated to prevent the funeral disruption and continuation as planned. Unfortunately, there are those who choose to cynically use the death of the journalist with ill intent
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
Rioters hiding near and under the coffin after throwing stones and other objects at Israel Police officers in Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/SpnxM0uLre
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
TOI reported that they had seen video footage showing that “no such stone-throwing is evident before police rushed the crowd, although some Palestinians were later filmed throwing objects during the clashes” and that some Palestinians “chanted slogans calling to ‘let the olive branch fall and raise the rifle,’ a reference to a famous speech by the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.” Emily Schrader, CEO of Social Lite Creative and co-host of the “Headlines with the Haddads” podcast, tweeted out video footage that she claimed confirmed the police’s account that “mourners threw rocks/objects at them during the funeral procession. The police coordinated the funeral route with the family of Shireen Abu Akleh and Palestinian extremists attempted to disrupt the procession.”
Video evidence confirms Israeli Police responded to violent riots where mourners threw rocks/objects at them during the funeral procession. The police coordinated the funeral route with the family of Shireen Abu Akleh and Palestinian extremists attempted to disrupt the procession pic.twitter.com/ntnzUYChj5
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) May 13, 2022
Author and actress Noa Tishby, the Israeli Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, tweeted: “Why is Israel ALWAYS guilty until proven innocent? No one else is judged this way. Treating Jews and Israel differently than the rest of the world is the definition of ‘double standard’ and yes, it’s antisemitic!”
She added: “RIP Shireen. Stop using her funeral to riot and attack Israel.”
Why is Israel ALWAYS guilty until proven innocent? No one else is judged this way.
Treating Jews and Israel differently than the rest of the world is the definition of “double standard” and yes, it’s antisemitic!
RIP Shireen. Stop using her funeral to riot and attack Israel.
— (((noa tishby))) (@noatishby) May 13, 2022
Ultimately, once the procession reached the cemetery, the funeral service proceeded peacefully and without incident.
