Journalist Tom Segev who has a regular Friday column in the Haaretz newspaper Friday Magazine wrote recently in a sarcastic tone about the request by the IDF Spokesperson Office for the complete footage shot on October 1 2000 of the killing of the child Mohammed Al-Dura at a violence wracked intersection in Gaza.
The short (59sec) segment broadcast by France 2 TV and given free to all who requested it was used as the central icon in the violent intifada that had begun that year.
In response to the article by Mr. Segev I wrote the following letter-to-the-editor, which was not printed. This letter will also be sent to Mr. Segev.
I was surprised and disturbed reading the second part of Tom Segev’s weekly page in the Friday Sept 21 Haaretz Magazine. I am referring to the section headed Who killed Mohammed al-Dura?
For many years now I have thought that Mr. Segev was deeply concerned and committed to exploring the truth that often lies undetected in historical events that concern the State of Israel, the Jewish people and our neighbors, especially the Palestinians.
And here we have a situation in the overly publicized event; the televised death of Mohamed El-Dura on Oct 1st 2000.
True its a long time ago, many innocent individuals of varying ages have since been purposely murdered; killed by accident; or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. So what’s the big deal?
I would ask the same question about some of the other seemingly side or minor events that occurred in the far distant past, sixty years ago that Mr. Segev has found important to ask.
In this case there more than a few unanswered questions.
As a matter of fact Mr. Segev’s observation that: This week, a Paris court was to continue hearing the appeal of a man who claimed in a blog that the event was staged. France 2 sued him for libel. The man, Philippe Karsenty, lost, and this week his appeal is being heard. Was not deserving the snide haughty tone in which it was presented.
Indeed that French appeals handed down a verdict demanding from France 2 that they produce to the court the total unedited footage from that fateful day’s video shooting by the French producers.
It is also true that the request for the same material by the deputy IDF Spokesman, Colonel Shlomi Am-Shalom may not be taken very seriously by France 2. The order by a French court may indeed bring to light a more accurate evaluation of the events of El-Dura’s death.
As it happens a more detailed examination is already available to Mr. Segev and the readers of this newspaper as well as any other individuals interested in accuracy in the media. This subject can be explored, the footage viewed and reviewed. People can make up their own minds as to the significance of the event as well as the reliability of the accepted media assertions.
The investigation was carried out by Prof Richard Landes, formerly of Boston University, and is available for viewing by everyone, on the web at http://www.seconddraft.org/
