Ex-presidential candidate demands full probe into death of US-Palestinian reporter

Influential lawmakers in the US have demanded a full investigation into the killing of a respected journalist last month – adding to pressure on Israel.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Jewish Democrat from Georgia, joined with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in calling on the Biden administration to “ensure a full and transparent investigation is completed and that justice is served” in the killing last month of Shireen Abu Akleh.

The letter sent Monday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken raises the stakes for Israel as it seeks to diffuse anger at the killing of the American Palestinian journalist, which occurred during an Israeli army raid into the West Bank town of Jenin.

The letter demands answers within 30 days, guaranteeing that the killing will remain in the public eye even as President Joe Biden is planning a visit to Israel in the coming month.

The involvement of 2012 Republican presidential candidate Romney, known for his closeness to Israeli leaders and the pro-Israel community, shows the issue is not just being raised by progressive Democrats, who have grown increasingly critical of Israel in recent years. Ossoff is a cautious centrist who played up his Jewish community involvement when he ran for Senate last year.

Israel has said it has narrowed down the source of the shooting to two: A group of Israeli soldiers and a group of Palestinian militants. Israel wants the Palestinian Authority to hand over the bullet that killed Abu Akleh so it can test it against the Israeli soldiers’ rifles and conduct a joint Israel-P.A. investigation, with the United States as an observer.

The Palestinian Authority, which has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court over the killing, says Israel is unequivocally to blame and does not trust Israeli authorities to conduct an impartial investigation.

The letter from Ossoff and Romney does not express a view on the bullet but is unequivocal in seeking transparency. “The killing of a U.S. citizen and of a journalist engaged in the work of reporting in a conflict zone is unacceptable,” it said.

A recent letter from 57 Democrats in Congress calls for an FBI investigation and suggests that Israel is the likely to be responsible. Another bipartisan letter from 25 Congress members also demands an investigation but blames the Palestinian Authority for hindering one with its refusal to hand the bullet to Israel.