Investigation: Palestinian poster-child wasn't killed by IDF
Monday, May 20, 2013 | Tommy Mueller
Twelve-year-old Mohammed al-Dura quickly became the poster child of the Palestinian struggle after allegedly being shot dead by Israeli soldiers in Gaza in 2000.
Thanks to the conspicuous presence of France 24 TV, millions of viewers the world over mourned with al-Dura's father, who in the video could be seen desperately trying to save his child.
But inconsistencies quickly came to light, and much doubt was cast over the al-Dura affair, though that didn't slow down the Palestinian propaganda machine.
A commission recently appointed by the Israeli government to investigate al-Dura's death came to the shocking conclusion last week that the boy was not actually killed during the televised gun battle between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian terrorists.
Forensics experts demonstrated that there is no evidence the boy had been, or even could have been, hit by Israeli bullets.
Already in 2002, prominent German journalist Esther Schapira joined others of her international colleagues in openly questioning the France 24 narrative. In her documentary "Three Bullets and a Dead Child - Who Shot Mohammed al-Dura," Schapira came to the conclusion that the boy was actually hit by Palestinian gunmen.
Also casting a cloud of doubt on the topic was a later media appearance by al-Dura's father where he presented scars he claimed were the result of injuries sustained on that fateful day. But the Israeli doctor who had treated Mr. al-Dura immediately came forward and clarified that the man's injuries had been sustained at a different time entirely, and were the result of a beating by Hamas activists.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said the new findings are significant because of how effectively this case was used to slander and vilify Israel. There is only one way to fight lies, said Netanyahu, and that is with the truth.
