Murder of Palestinian journalist is an Israeli attempt to kill the truth

The body of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh is carried on a stretcher at a hospital following an Israeli raid, in Jenin in the Israeli-occupied West Bank May 11, 2022. [Reuters]

Oppressive and illegitimate regimes are known for trying every dirty and bloody tactics in their cold playbook to prevent whatever inconveniencing and uncomfortable truths that they may be hiding from their people and the world at large. 

But history has time and again demonstrated that truth is always unconcealable and unstoppable powerful; and no matter how long an injustice reigns, its expiry date will inevitably come at some point. 

This is why, as sad as I am about the latest horrific murder of veteran Aljazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, I am strongly heartened by the fact that the truth that she passionately and courageously pursued—and even sacrificed her life for while reporting the war crimes and impact of the apartheid situation under the Zionist occupation and its settler colonialism infrastructure—will survive and thrive until the true taste and scent of freedom come to Palestinians, the same way it did for black South Africans and others. 

Journalism can only be perceived as a threat by those who fear the truth and its impact on the illusion they are disastrously protecting, which explains the unfortunate and cold-blooded murder on May 11, 2022, of Shireen who was shockingly shot in the head while covering Israel military brutality in the West Bank town of Jenin.

Her's was clearly not a case of "mistaken identity" because the journalist was distinguishable with her blue press vest.

For anyone who is still in doubt about who killed her, the clarifying questions to ask yourself are: Who truly and greatly benefits from silencing the truth in Palestine? Who reaps from the military occupation? Who benefits from the apartheid situation in Palestine as has even been officially confirmed before by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B'Tselem?

Again let's not forget that Shireen is not the first Palestinian journalist to die in the line of duty. She may as well not be the last one as others routinely get harassed and clobbered on the pretext of security and fighting 'terrorists'. It was just a few months ago when Israel bombed to rubble a building in Gaza that housed Aljazeera and the US-owned Associated Press.

The famous Israeli historian Illan Pappe wrote the following tribute for Shireen: "The only way to know the crimes of the occupation, unless you witness them with your own eyes, is to be informed by an honest and professional journalist. You cannot trust the biased and timid Western media and alternative media does not always have the resources to be everywhere. This is what is so unique about Shireen Abu Akleh's place in our lives since 1997- bringing to our homes the horrors of the occupation and the courage of those resisting it.

"Her reports debunked, indeed ridiculed, the official Israel narrative about the daily human rights abuses in West Bank and inside Israel. No wonder she was targeted while doing what she always did, speaking truth to power. Her reports will be an essential part of the archives of Palestine in general and that of the occupation in particular; this they will not be able to kill or erase. May she rest in peace!!!"

As the world mourns the brutal murder of this amazing Palestinian journalist, there is an urgent need to think and act on the big picture question of how to end this sustained Zionist cruelty that is unambiguously not just a bloody war against Palestinians but also one ruthlessly against truth and journalism.