Rachel Corrie's family sues Israel over her death by bulldozer; Corrie's Iowa City relatives

Trial begins over death of US activist in Gaza

SHIRA RUBIN, Associated Press Writer

HAIFA, Israel (AP) - The family of an American activist who was fatally crushed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza accused the Israeli military of whitewashing its investigation into the death Wednesday in opening a civil case against Israel.

The parents of Rachel Corrie are seeking unspecified compensation from Israel's Defense Ministry for their daughter's death in 2003.

Corrie, 23, was killed when she tried to block a bulldozer from demolishing a Gaza home The driver said he didn't see her, and the Israeli military has ruled her death an accident - a version her parents reject.

Corrie was an activist with the International Solidarity Movement, a group that sends foreigners into volatile hot spots to assist Palestinians. The activists often place themselves between Israeli forces and Palestinians to try to stop the Israeli military from carrying out operations.

At Wednesday's opening of the civil case, the Corries' lawyer demanded a new investigation into her death.

"The Israeli government is covering this up under the umbrella of combat activity, which absolves soldiers of responsibility, said Husein Abu Husein. He said he would present his case over the next two weeks, but a ruling isn't expected for about a year.

Corrie's story has become a rallying cry for international anti-Israel activists. Based on her diaries and e-mails to her parents, the story was adopted into an off-Broadway play called "My Name Is Rachel Corrie."

A small crowd of supporters gathered outside the court, holding posters of Corrie and calling for justice for her family.

"On March 16, 2003, Rachel was ripped away from our family and it left an enormous void in our life that can never be replaced and I know that many people in this part of the world have similar voids in their lives," her mother, Cindy Corrie, told reporters.

The Corries have previously unsuccessfully tried to sue Caterpillar Inc., the U.S. company that manufactured the bulldozer. They claimed the company was liable for aiding and abetting human rights violations.

Corrie was from Olympia, Wash. Her parents have repeatedly returned to the Palestinian territories, including to the spot where she was killed. One other International Solidarity Movement activist has died from Israeli fire, and at least two others have been seriously wounded.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

Iowa ties:

THE GAZETTE, 03/18/2003

Student killed in Mideast 'fearless'

Iowa City relatives mourn Rachel Corrie

By Frank Gluck

The Gazette

IOWA CITY - The American college student killed during a protest Sunday in a Palestinian refugee camp by an Israeli bulldozer was a "fearless" advocate for Middle East peace whose death has shocked the family, her Iowa City relatives told The Gazette on Monday.

Rachel Corrie, 23, of Olympia, Wash., was run over by an Israeli army bulldozer in the town of Rafah while protesting the pending destruction of a Palestinian home.

"We are very proud of Rachel, who was a caring, thoughtful person, who had the courage to live by her convictions," said Colette Brodersen, her aunt, an Iowa City social worker. "She died pursuing peace for Palestinian families." Brodersen learned of Corrie's death like the rest of the family - the news on television, she said.

"I screamed," she said. "That's what I remember, just saying 'no, no, no, no'."

Corrie's father lived in Des Moines, and her mother is from the Crawford County town of Denison, where much of her extended family still lives.

A spokesman for Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, told The Gazette that the U.S. government is investigating the incident. "This is something Sen. Harkin is following closely," said spokesman Bill Burton.

Brodersen said she last communicated with Corrie via e-mail last week. She said she last saw her in July.

Barb Brodersen, her other aunt living in Iowa City, is a library assistant for the University of Iowa. She said Corrie's

parents were "devastated" by the news of her death.

"It's extremely tough for them," Barb Brodersen said. "It's their youngest child. She was their baby."

• Rachel's parents, Craig and Cynthia Corrie, graduated from Drake University, according to this reprinted Des Moines Register article
• BBC story today: Rachel Corrie relatives sue Israel over her death

From Let me stand alone: the journals of Rachel Corrie:

In earlier years, summer trips with family to the Midwest had been a time to explore her Iowa farming roots and to cement relationships with cousins. ...