US, EU blast police violence at Abu Akleh’s funeral
Bar Lev initiates probe • Nakba Day today raises tensions further
the international community over the weekend sharply condemned israeli police violence against the mourners at slain palestinian-american reporter shireen abu akleh’s Friday funeral in jerusalem, which almost caused pallbearers to drop her coffin.
us secretary of state antony Blinken called the images of police with their batons out, broadcast globally in real time and widely circulated after the funeral, “deeply troubling.” outgoing white House press secretary jan psaki added that they were “disturbing.”
France said it was “shocked” and Germany said it was “distraught.” even Lithuania said it was “troubled.”
police said they were protecting the procession against rioters. some of those on the ground claimed that the violence occurred around police attempts to confiscate palestinian flags, including those surrounding the coffin and the black hearse.
But the scene that grabbed everyone’s attention occurred at the start of the procession when pallbearers exited st. joseph’s Hospital in east jerusalem with abu akleh’s coffin to carry it to the mount Zion cemetery, despite family plans for it to travel in a hearse.
in an apparent bid to ensure that the coffin was placed in a hearse, police officers burst through the courtyard gates and charged at the crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and kicking them.
at one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and almost dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the ground as stun grenades detonated.
us president joe Biden said the unrest had “to be investigated.”
public security minister omer Bar Lev on saturday tasked police Brig.-Gen. anna Ben mordechai raziel with heading a team to probe the violence and provide a report within days.
the violence at the funeral heightened tensions in jerusalem in advance of nakba day on sunday, the palestinian day of mourning for what they consider the tragedy wrought on them by the creation of the state of israel in 1948.
thousands attended the two-day funeral which began in ramallah on thursday and ended Friday with her burial at jerusalem’s mount Zion cemetery.
it was the most highly publicized palestinian funeral since the burial of palestinian authority chairman yasser arafat in 2004 in ramallah.
it is unusual for a palestinian funeral of this scope, with its display of green, red, and white palestinian flags, to be held in jerusalem.
abu akleh, widely known in the arab world as the voice of
business and technology hub. It was also under his administration that the Emirates normalized ties with Israel in the historic Abraham Accords.
However, in 2014, he suffered a stroke and, while stable, most authority was given over to MbZ. “This is a great loss for our friends in the UAE and for the whole region,” Herzog said in a statement. “Sheikh Khalifa’s bold leadership contributed so much to the advancement of the UAE and its people and to the growing partnership between our countries and is a great legacy for his successors. His life’s work pushed the Middle East to new horizons of prosperity and cooperation.”
“In the name of the State of Israel, we send our deepest condolences to the leadership and people of the UAE on the passing of HH President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked tweeted. “May his memory be a blessing.”
“History is determined by human beings. It is determined by people who know history but are willing to change it. It is determined by people who prefer the future over the past,” noted Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
“Such a leader was Sheikh Khalifa – and his legacy is partnership and peace and brotherhood between peoples. A brave leader who looked forward and worked for the future; a leader who continued the path of the founding father of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan.”
“This is a sad day for all who share and believe in the path of peace,” Lapid said. “We will continue to work together for our people and in memory of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
The Jewish community of the UAE expressed “profound sadness” on Nahyan’s passing, sending their condolences to the deceased president’s family.
The community also said in its statement that under his leadership, it “has experienced unprecedented flourishing among the many communities of the UAE.”
“May the memory and legacy of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan always be a blessing,” the com