The report of the findings of the FBI investigation into the death of the Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh will be submitted to the US Congress within about a month. It will be filed as an unclassified document and will be available to the general public through the US State Department website. This report is based on the statements of Democrat congressman, Andre Carson, who led the fight to open the investigation into the death of Abu Akleh and initiated the "Justice for Shirin Act."
The FBI's investigation comes just two months after Israel admitted with a "fairly high probability" that Abu Akleh was killed by an unintentional shot by IDF soldiers in Jenin in the midst of intense fire from both sides.
If these reports are correct, this is a step in the right direction towards justice and accountability. I’m proud to have introduced the #JusticeForShireen Act, requiring a US investigation to provide answers into the killing of American citizen, Shireen Abu Akleh. https://t.co/5SkBLvmvSS
— André Carson (@RepAndreCarson) November 15, 2022
The meaning of an FBI probe is that they may demand to investigate the soldiers who were involved in the incident in Jenin, and even demand their prosecution. Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced that Israel would not cooperate with the investigation, and Prime Minister Yair Lapid added that: "IDF soldiers will not be investigated by the FBI or by any foreign body or a foreign country, no matter how friendly they may be."
According to congressman Carson of Indiana, more than looking for new culprits in the death of the journalist, the investigation will focus on the involvement of the United States itself in the incident.
Israel is furious the Biden DOJ has opened a new investigation into the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.
— Daniel Cohen (@DanielCohenTV) November 17, 2022
The White House says it didn’t know.
Sen. @tedcruz is accusing the admin of weaponizing the FBI.
Story coming @NEWSMAX pic.twitter.com/gjnqtMdPno
Carson further claims that American weapons were provided to IDF soldiers. "It cannot be that American weapons will be used to kill Americans on foreign soil. American taxpayers should not pay for cases of human rights violations abroad," he said. Meanwhile, the FBI refused to provide details about the ongoing probe.
US congressman, André Carson, introduced this week the Justice for Shireen Act, requiring an investigation and report on the death of American-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. pic.twitter.com/RLrEbcWyI4
— Palestinian Return Centre (@prclondon) November 17, 2022
According to Carson's public statements, in addition to identifying American involvement in the incident. The investigation will try to point a precise finger at those people or parties who committed, were complicit in, or responsible for the death of the journalist; from the IDF soldier in the field to the most senior commanders.
Carson denied the move was motivated by political interests. "We need to put aside the politics between Israel and the Palestinians and see this incident for what it is, an attack against free press and the killing of our own citizen." What Carson did not mention is that Abu Akleh was a reporter for Qatar-funded Al Jazeera and often misused her professional title as a journalist to participate in filing reports she knew were misinformation. From a riot that never happened outside of Nablus where she reported from a smoke-filled field as dozens of Palestinians posed for the cameras, tossing rocks at an Israel Defense Force that was not even present, to reporting on the deaths of teenagers without mentioning they were killed while actively shooting at Israeli soldiers.
@LironDiaz Thank you very much for telling us about this systematic misinformation as soon as it is about Israel. Moreover Shireen Abu Akleh was a Catholic and was buried in Jerusalem under the protection of the Israeli police in front of a vociferous Arab population. https://t.co/TD9VlFWsaZ
— Amshel Kafka (@Amshelkaf) November 17, 2022
The 48-year-old Carson, who has served for 14 consecutive years as a member of the House of Representatives from the state of Indiana, was re-elected in the last midterm elections to the position, after garnering 66.9% of the votes in the district where he ran. He converted to Islam when he was 31 years old after he was exposed to the autobiography of Malcolm X, the American black rights activist and prominent member of the "Nation of Islam" movement led by the controversial Louis Farrakhan who has often made comments that can be interpreted as blatantly anti-Jewish, most recently blaming Jews for the slave trade and alluding to Zionists in Israel not being 'authentically' Jewish.
