Rachel Corrie's parents filed a civil suit against Israel's defense ministry. The trial gets underway on March 10 in Haifa.
Corrie, a 23-year-old US citizen, came to Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement as a human shield against IDF operations against smuggling tunnels. She died in March, 2003, accidentally run over by an army bulldozer.
Her death's a tragedy. She was clearly worth more to the Palestinian cause as a living activist than as a blond-haired "martyr."
Rachel Corrie went to Gaza to be a human shield. That Rachel unfortunately died as the very human shield she set out to be moots her parents' lawsuit. If I were Palestinian, I'd even argue that it cheapens her memory.
One point I'd like to see this lawsuit clarify: Did Rachel Corrie really know what she was doing? If it turns out she didn't, the Corrie family should consider seeking legal action against the ISM.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
