Family of Palestinian American journalist calls on Blinken to open independent probe of killing

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made no promises when asked by family members to open an independent investigation into the death of a Palestinian American journalist killed during an Israeli military operation in May, the family said on Thursday.

Shireen Abu Akleh’s relatives, who earlier this week traveled from East Jerusalem to Washington to speak with Blinken at the State Department, held a press event on Thursday at the White House, where they called on the Biden administration to more aggressively probe Israeli intelligence for answers about Abu Akleh’s killing.

“They cannot rely on Israel’s word,” said Lina Abu Akleh, the niece of Shireen Abu Akleh. “Any family of a U.S. citizen who is killed abroad expects its government to put its resources behind an investigation. This is the very least the Biden administration must do.”

“We made this clear to Secretary Blinken, but he did not make us any promises,” she added.

The family also called for a private meeting with President Joe Biden, and for any future investigation from the State Department not to rely on Israeli sources. The killing of Abu Akleh, who was reporting for the Middle Eastern publication Al Jazeera, played out alongside escalating conflict in the region, including the deaths of 16 Israelis and more than 30 Palestinians in the weeks leading up to her visit.

Palestinian officials and family members of Abu Akleh allege that the Israeli military intentionally shot Abu Akleh on May 18 while she was reporting on a raid by Israeli soldiers into the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. The Israeli military had initially suggested the shooter could be Palestinian, but investigations that included audio forensic analysis and eyewitness accounts from media outlets and human rights organizations supported the claim that the lethal shot came from a member of the Israel Defense Forces in a targeted attack.

The State Department, citing a third-party analysis overseen by U.S. officials, said earlier this month that the origin of the fatal shot couldn’t be pinpointed because “ballistic experts determined the bullet was badly damaged, which prevented a clear conclusion.” And while it said that the killing was most likely unintentional, the U.S. security coordinator who oversaw the analysis “concluded that gunfire from IDF positions was likely responsible for the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.”

The report was met with a sharp reaction from the family, who in a recent statement said that “the administration’s July 4th statement was an affront to justice, and enabled Israel to avoid accountability for Shireen’s murder.”

“If we allow Shireen’s killing to be swept under the rug,” the family said, “we send a message that the lives of U.S. citizens abroad don’t matter, that the lives of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation don’t matter, and that the most courageous journalists in the world, those who cover the human impact of armed conflict and violence, are expendable.”

Anton Abu Akleh, the journalist’s brother, drew attention to the report and asked Blinken to withdraw the U.S. statement, adding that “we hope the administration and the officials, including congressmen, will continue to support our cause here and elsewhere.” He also demanded a private meeting with the president and referenced his recent visit to the Middle East earlier this month.

“President Biden was 10 minutes away. He never came to see us, so we had to come here to Washington,” said Anton Abu Akleh, adding that “we need him to hear from us directly so he understands the pain our family and too many other Palestinians have endured.”

Also in attendance were a host of congressional representatives — including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who all read statements — as well as a representative from the Committee to Protect Journalists who called on the Biden administration to protect journalists abroad.

“Today, we remind president Biden of his own global commitments. His pledge to champion democracy and free press,” Gypsy Guillén Kaiser said. “At least 19 journalists have been killed in Israel and the Palestinian territory since 1992. In 18 of those cases, the expected suspected source of fire was Israeli military officials. And 16 of those were Palestinian.”

“No one has been held to account,” she added.