Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is great to see Senator Buttimer in the hot seat.

Like my colleague, I want to highlight the horrendous killing of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by an Israeli sniper last Wednesday. She was killed while covering an Israeli military incursion into Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. It is a territory administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo peace agreement that has been invaded by the Israeli Defence Forces, IDF, once again. She was a household name in Palestine and across the Middle East, known for her courageous reporting on the issues facing the Palestinian people.

The agony of her murder was amplified by the brutal and incomprehensible scenes of Israeli forces attacking Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral procession. I can only imagine the pain and confusion the pall bearers felt as they struggled to keep the coffin aloft while the truncheon blows rained down on them. They protected the dignity of this remarkable woman and they had to endure the most horrendous abuse to do that.

These actions are the result of a society poisoned by its own racism and militarism. The Desmond Tutu trust, among others, has drawn attention to the clear parallels to the attacks on the funerals of activists during the apartheid era in South Africa. The killing of Shireen is a tragedy and an absolute outrage. It fits into a pattern of Israeli institutions and agents trying to silence and repress those who expose their cruelty to the world. According to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Israel has killed more than 50 Palestinian journalists since 2001.