Death of Palestinian-American Journalism Shireen Abu Akleh

More than a month after her death, investigations are still ongoing. The process has been mired by disagreements among the US, Arab nations, and international organizations unable to cooperate.

Early Morning on May 11, 25-year-old Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh went to cover an Israeli army operation at a refugee camp. Famously known for her coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Ms. Abu Akleh had taken all precautions before arriving in the city of Jenin, an occupied area of the West Bank.

She was among many other reporters interviewing witnesses regarding the gunfight between Israeli Soldiers and Palestinian men that had stopped down the street just a few moments ago. To their surprise, six gunshots flew straight at them as they ran for cover.

An onlooker came running to check in as he recognized Ms. Abu Akleh before noticing her lying face down on the ground.

There has been a month-long investigation regarding her death with allegations and accusations regarding who fired the bullet and whether it was intentional and personally targeted. The New York Times conducted an investigation that showed that there were no armed Palestinians near where she was killed, and in the surrounding area of the Israeli military convoy, 16 bullets were fired. However, they could not find any more information on who the shooter was or if she was targeted.

Journalists constantly put themselves in high-risk positions, whether in conflict or controversy. Her passing is genuinely saddening; however, it begs the public to ask why her's is one of the few that has had so much attention. Could it be the fact that she is Palestinian-American? Could it be to do with Arab and American pride? Could it be that her death has drawn so much attention because it addresses both America and the Arab world?

The death of Ms. Abu Akleh has brought worldwide attention to those getting caught unfairly in the crossfire of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. President Biden has said he believes Israel should take the lead in the investigation. "There has been no change in our approach," a State Department spokeswoman told Al Jazeera on Thursday, a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked for an "independent" investigation into Abu Akleh's death.

The administration has continued to push out this sentiment for accountability. "We are looking for an independent, credible investigation. When that investigation happens, we will follow the facts wherever they lead. It's as straightforward as that," Blinken said.

Free Press advocacy groups and U.S. lawmakers have called upon independent bodies to conduct the probe. It is clear that within the U.S., government officials cannot come to a consensus of their own on how to proceed. Do they have a common understanding of an unbiased investigation when the U.S. continues to support Israel as they have all these years? With conflicting statements and disagreements with other Arab nations on how to proceed, there seems to be no accountability on Israel's behalf and no progress in the situation as a whole.

In May 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) asked for an international investigation into the incident, including representatives from the U.S. and Qatari governments. On June 27, the CPJ wrote an open letter to President Biden stating, "While your administration has called for an investigation, more than one month after Abu Akleh's killing, only journalists have carried out serious probes of the incident." At the same time, calling out Israel for blatantly "disregarding the rights of Palestinians" sets that precedent for the world to see.

The open letter addresses a similar situation three years ago with the death of Yaser Murtaja, a photojournalist and camera operator for the Gaza-based media production company Ain Media. They believe that this tactical lie is something the U.S. continues to believe in and therefore is not encouraged to take action.

The case has also been presented to the International Criminal Court by the Palestinian Authority and Al Jazeera (ICC). However, the Biden administration, which opposes the International Criminal Court's push to investigate alleged Israeli war crimes, repeated its opposition to the ICC's involvement in the Abu Akleh case this week.

The open letter written by the CPJ addressed to president Biden includes a few quotes from Biden himself stating, "human rights will be the center of our foreign policy." Further, on World Press Freedom Day 2021, you said that the U.S. would "recommit to protecting and promoting free, independent, and diverse media around the world."...You must now fulfill this promise or risk further erosion of faith in American global leadership on human rights, including press freedom."

Many people, journalists, and government officials worldwide continue to question whether justice will be served for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh and whether the U.S. will finally take a stance against Israel to do so.