Ramphele slams Israel

Israeli police charging the funeral of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is “reminiscent” of violence during apartheid South Africa, the foundation of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu said on Saturday.

“The scenes of members of the Israeli security forces attacking pallbearers at the funeral in Jerusalem of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh yesterday were chillingly reminiscent of the brutality meted out to mourners at the funerals of anti-apartheid activists in SA during our struggle for freedom,” Mamphela Ramphele, director of the Desmond Tutu Foundation, said.

“As Archbishop Tutu taught us, the perpetrators of violence and human rights violations might think they are advancing their goals, but are, in fact, undermining their own humanity and integrity,” she said.

Ramphele added that members of the Israeli security forces were “evidently responsible” for Abu Akleh being shot in the head on Wednesday as she covered news in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

“To further inflame the situation by attacking her funeral cortege is like seeking to extinguish righteous flames with a can of petrol,” she said.

Other South Africans also joined an international outcry after Israeli security forces attacked the pallbearers on Friday. Israel’s police chief has ordered an investigation into officers’ actions at a Palestinian journalist’s funeral in Jerusalem, the police force said on Saturday.

The United States and the European Union led criticism of the Israeli police’s actions, after television footage showed officers charging the funeral procession on Friday of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and beating mourners.

The 51 year old, a highly respected veteran of the Qatar-based news channel’s Arabic service, was killed on Wednesday during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. Her coffin nearly fell to the ground after Israeli police intervened.