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France 2 TV footage of the 2000 shooting of Mohammed al-Dura.
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Last update - 22:02 17/09/2007
IDF demands French footage of 2000 shooting of Palestinian boy
By The Associated Press
Tags: France 2, Intifada 

The Israel Defense Forces has asked a French television network to turn over unedited seven-year-old footage of the shooting death of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy in the Gaza Strip, officials said Monday, reopening one of the most contentious incidents of the second Palestinian Intifada.

The army declined to say why it is seeking the material from the France 2 network. But the request comes during a legal dispute in France between the network and a media watchdog who accuses it of making up the incident.

Viewers around the world were shocked by footage captured by the France 2 network on September 30, 2000, showing the death of Mohammed al-Dura. The images showed the terrified boy and his father, Jamal, cowering in front of a wall amid a furious exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
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In the France 2 news report, the father gestures frantically to try to stop the shooting as the boy screams in terror. It then cuts to a shot of the motionless boy slumped in his father's lap. The report, citing witnesses and its cameraman at the scene, said the gunfire had come from nearby IDF positions.

Seven years later, the circumstances of the shooting remain in dispute.

Palestinians blamed IDF troops for the death, and the incident has become a recurring symbol for Palestinians of excessive Israeli force.

The army initially said the gunfire apparently came from IDF positions. But a military investigation subsequently determined it was quite plausible that the boy was hit by Palestinian bullets in the course of an exchange of fire.

An IDF spokeswoman confirmed the army has asked the French network for its full unedited video material from the shooting. "The IDF is dealing directly with the network on the issue," the spokeswoman said, speaking on condition of anonymity under military guidelines.

She declined to say whether the army is reopening its investigation or explain why it needs the footage. But the request comes ahead of a decision in France in the network's ongoing legal battle against media watchdog Philippe Karsenty. A copy of the army's letter to France 2 also was sent to Karsenty.

France 2 and its Israel correspondent, Charles Enderlin, have filed a libel suit against Karsenty, who has accused Enderlin of staging the shooting. A judge ruled in favor of Enderlin last year. But Karsenty appealed, and a ruling in that case is expected this week.

Karsenty could not immediately be reached for comment about the IDF request.

France 2 has not yet decided whether to release the material to the army. Enderlin declined to discuss the case, saying only that he has full confidence in the French justice system.
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  1.   Show the Tape or Hide Your Face 18:22  |  Richard 17/09/07
  2.   I listened to an interview with Philippe Karsenty 18:41  |  Gina 17/09/07
  3.   Take a good look at the picture 18:42  |  MichaelF 17/09/07
  4.   Finally! What Took You So Long? 18:46  |  massaraksh 17/09/07
  5.   Enderlin has better confidence in french justice than in Israel`s 18:49  |  Andre 17/09/07
  6.   Why Not? 19:00  |  Avi 17/09/07
  7.   Let`s suppose... 19:00  |  Denton 17/09/07
  8.   Notice the details 19:12  |  Gee 17/09/07
  9.   French are known to make up stories 19:22  |  Rafa 17/09/07
  10.   Possible outcomes 19:23  |  D 17/09/07
  11.   Why is France hiding the tape 19:26  |  * BEN JABO 17/09/07
  12.   old news 19:27  |  alan 17/09/07
  13.   Could IDF show the tapes of bombing of UN observation post 19:35  |  Petteri 17/09/07
  14.   Whats the big deal 19:38  |  Jean Marc 17/09/07
  15.   #6, Pity Party for Avi... 19:41  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  16.   to Gina 19:50  |  Goldenberg 17/09/07
  17.   To Denton 19:50  |  John 17/09/07
  18.   NOT UNEXPECTED 19:51  |  Brant 17/09/07
  19.   # 10 D 20:00  |  Realistic Arab 17/09/07
  20.   With Israel`s Long History of Shooting Little Children 20:03  |  Mr. Knowitall 17/09/07
  21.   So sick 20:04  |  John 17/09/07
  22.   No big deal to Jean Marc 20:07  |  Rory 17/09/07
  23.   to Perkele #13 20:12  |  Barry 17/09/07
  24.   YES, SILVIENNE..... 20:14  |  Brant 17/09/07
  25.   Who are the IDF to demand anything? 20:17  |  Maki 17/09/07
  26.   Why isn`t father on top of child? 20:18  |  The Barber 17/09/07
  27.   Why isn`t the father in front and the boy behind? 20:19  |  Jasmine Murphy 17/09/07
  28.   #13 20:22  |  JES 17/09/07
  29.   #13 20:24  |  blake 17/09/07
  30.   #14 - And let`s not forget... 20:26  |  JES 17/09/07
  31.   Uh OH Brant, you`re caught telling the truth 20:28  |  GZLives 17/09/07
  32.   Tape is being withheld because it would prove incident was a lie 20:29  |  Raymond from DC 17/09/07
  33.   I don`t know who killed Muhammad al-Dura 20:30  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  34.   Realitsic Arab = OBVIOUS Jew hater 20:30  |  GZLives 17/09/07
  35.   dhimmis and dummies 20:34  |  GZLives 17/09/07
  36.   Mr. Knowitall = MR KNOW NOTHING 20:35  |  GZLives 17/09/07
  37.   #14 Big Deal 20:43  |  Nakomis 17/09/07
  38.   Let`s stop feeling sorry! 20:45  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  39.   Petteri 20:46  |  Connie 17/09/07
  40.   Why out the hoax 20:47  |  Rustam 17/09/07
  41.   Jean-Marc 20:52  |  jp 17/09/07
  42.   even though 21:09  |  valy 17/09/07
  43.   what happened to the child? 21:10  |  bob 17/09/07
  44.   The Temple Mount 21:12  |  jp 17/09/07
  45.   The IDF has changed policy since this incident 21:18  |  Karma Chameleon 17/09/07
  46.   TO 25-For the same reason UN holds videotape of 3 Israelis 21:31  |  Alan 17/09/07
  47.   WIKIPEDIA gives the zionist version of the event 21:39  |  JACKAL 17/09/07
  48.   is Philippe Karsent a jew or a right-wing racist? 21:40  |  JACKAL 17/09/07
  49.   Pallywood Releases In Pieces 21:48  |  Efox 17/09/07
  50.   re: Mr. Knowitall 21:51  |  Efox 17/09/07
  51.   re: Realistic Arab 21:55  |  Efox 17/09/07
  52.   re: jp 21:57  |  Efox 17/09/07
  53.   re: The Barber 21:59  |  Efox 17/09/07
  54.   It`s a conspiracy 22:06  |  Gili 17/09/07
  55.   re: Yonatan 22:07  |  Efox 17/09/07
  56.   re: John 22:08  |  Efox 17/09/07
  57.   re: Jasmine Murphy 22:10  |  Efox 17/09/07
  58.   France 2 TV Footage 22:16  |  Mill 17/09/07
  59.   What does Mr Kwowitall knows ? 22:22  |  Edmond Danijean 17/09/07
  60.   THE BARBER (#26) ? The Million-Dollar Question 22:30  |  Gil 17/09/07
  61.   in my opinion...if someone is killing... 22:32  |  maria 17/09/07
  62.   the truth will never be known 22:39  |  rose 17/09/07
  63.   Alan - Kidnapped Soldiers 22:58  |  Maki 17/09/07
  64.   Petteri something for you 23:00  |  infidel 17/09/07
  65.   #48 Jackal 23:11  |  * BEN JABO 17/09/07
  66.   efox 23:15  |  Jasmine Murphy 17/09/07
  67.   Savage cannibals ! 23:17  |  disgusted 17/09/07
  68.   Petteri of Finland 23:19  |  Lynn 17/09/07
  69.   # 15 Silvienne 23:20  |  Lynn 17/09/07
  70.   #24, Brant... 23:22  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  71.   Heat of the Battle 23:23  |  Double Click 17/09/07
  72.   #20, Can this really be true...? 23:24  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  73.   #31, GZLives... 23:28  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  74.   #34, GZLives to Realistic Arab... 23:30  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  75.   JACKAL 23:32  |  Brant 17/09/07
  76.   #51, Efox... 23:33  |  Silvienne 17/09/07
  77.   Karsenty trial is a modern Dreyfus 23:40  |  Chick 17/09/07
  78.   If I was his father 00:02  |  Tim 18/09/07
  79.   Israel`s Worst Enemy 00:09  |  David Metz 18/09/07
  80.   charles enderlin is a liar !!! real report on daylimotion 00:09  |  dovdevan 18/09/07
  81.   Petteri for you 00:19  |  infidel 18/09/07
  82.   www.menapress.com 00:28