Church leaders condemn Israeli police actions at Palestinian journalist’s funeral
Officers were seen beating mourners carrying the coffin of Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed in the West Bank last week
Michael Daventry is Jewish News’s foreign and broadcast editor
Israel’s top Catholic clergyman has accused police of disrespecting the church after officers were seen beating mourners carrying the coffin of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian journalist shot dead last week.
Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa said he was “shocked by the unjustifiable conduct [of Israeli police] and we want to denounce and condemn it in a clear and unequivocal way”.
Footage broadcast around the world on Friday showed officers moving in on crowds, some waving Palestinian flags, causing them to briefly drop the coffin.
They were carrying Abu Akleh’s body from a convent-run hospital to a nearby Catholic Church for her funeral service.
Pizzabella, who is the Vatican’s most senior official in the Holy Land, said it was “a severe violation of international norms and regulations, including the fundamental human right of freedom of religion, which must be observed also in a public space.”
He was speaking alongside 11 other Christian leaders based in Israel.
While Israel and the Palestinians remain locked in a war of narratives over the circumstances leading to the journalist’s death in Jenin last week, but there has been international uproar at the way her funeral was policed.
The United States was among calling for an investigation, with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken saying he was “deeply troubled”.
“Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner,” he said.
In Britain, Boris Johnson said he was “appalled” by the journalist’s death.
Israeli police claimed to have agreed with Abu Akleh’s family that there would be no flags waved and that her coffin would be transported in a car and not on foot.
The family disputes that account.
Israel initially denied its forces were responsible for killing Abu Akleh, but has since called for a joint investigation into the shooting.
Palestinians officials have rejected the offer, saying they do not trust Israel.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
