Documentary Probes Death of a Peace Activist

[ConsAreLiars]

Though the subjects of her film take strong positions, Bitton herself does not express an opinion as to whether the death was accidental.

"I think it's not so important," she said in a question-and- answer session after Thursday's film screening at the United Nations.

There is no disputing the fact that protesters had been present for hours, she said, and the bulldozer drivers knew this. The larger point she wants to make with the film is that the army's policies and behaviour in the area show an indifference towards the lives of the people there, whether or not Corrie's death itself was intentional.
...
Bitton has made a number of films about Israel and Palestine. Her identity is complex: born in Morocco, she has Israeli and French citizenship and self-identifies as a Moroccan and an Arab Jew.

Her Israeli citizenship, she said, puts her in a valuable position to examine Israel's policies. Her intersecting nationalities may also be part of what drew her to investigate Corrie, who a friend in the film calls "an American citizen with Palestinian blood".

More at: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53105

[Rhiannon12866]

1. I was on DU the night this news broke.

And it was tragic, no matter what side of this issue you're on. Thanks for posting.

[tavalon]

2. Did you realize at the time, that the tragedy would become as iconic

as the man in Tienanmen Square? It has, you know. And hopefully, in both cases will lead to a better world but they are both heartbreaking situations.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. All I remember feeling at the time was shock.

I used to hang out in I/P a whole lot more than I do now and I remember that all hell broke loose here. I was certainly horrified, and I guess that I really believed, at the time, that there'd be a whole lot more repercussions than there were. That, to me, makes it a double tragedy. But I've now been here long enough to understand how things are. And you're right, that this tragedy has become truly iconic. At least we know her name, and remember. And the real tragedy is that so little has changed...

[ConsAreLiars]

6. The repercussions were pretty much like when 9 aid workers were murdered on the high seas.

Horror and an awakening among a few more people.

But the same silence met the attack and murders on the USS Liberty from the Lord High Commissars and the corporate masters of the universe and their media. Israel jingoism is a valuable tool for them, just as are the religiously insane in the US electorate. Kill 34, wound 170, it's all good. Look over there! Some idiot they asked you to look at is acting like an idiot again!

[oberliner]

7. The people on the USS Liberty were not aid workers or peace activists

They were in the military - navy and marines.

[txaslftist]

9. And they were attacked by an enemy state...

casualties, that's all.

[oberliner]

13. s/d

[ConsAreLiars]

14. And they were also not attacking Israel. Just in a position to shine some light

on the evil being done, and so targets.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. That's what I meant

When I said that so little has changed... It seems to have become a habit to overlook and ignore history.

[proteus_lives]

5. Really?

"Did you realize at the time, that the tragedy would become as iconic as the man in Tienanmen Square? It has, you know."

No it hasn't. Walk down the street with picture of Tienanmen and Corrie. See which one people recognize.

[txaslftist]

10. Better put a picture of snoop dogg in there...

See how many get 2 out of 3.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. Absolutely true, but I bet that with names it would be less one-sided.

Even there, I'd guess signficantly more would have heard of the Tiananmen square massacre, but not by anywhere near as large a margin.

On the other hand, if the photo you picked was any other photo showing Tiananmen or the massacre apart from the man-vs-tank one then you'd get roughly similar recognition rates as for a photo of Corrie - which is to say, 0%. People know the names, but that's it.

[Ken Burch]

15. They equally recognize both.

Rachel Corrie's face is known throughout the world.

Just admit they were wrong to bulldoze the damn houses already.

Home demolition never had ANY effect on the actual militants.

No one has any reason to hate Rachel Corrie or to have been offended by what she was doing.

The ISM never did anything but try to stop violence and protect the powerless.

[uppityperson]

3. I wish I could k&r this movie info

[txaslftist]

11. Rachel Who??? USS Liberwhat??? John Pollard who???

Never heard of them.