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British photojournalist James Miller, seen here at left holding camera, filming youths in Gaza on the day he was killed in May, 2003. (Archives)
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Last update - 00:00 22/04/2008
Israel to compensate family of British filmmaker killed by IDF
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: U.K., James Miller, Israel 

Five years after British filmmaker James Miller was fatally shot by Israel Defense Forces troops in the Gaza Strip, Israel is poised to pay the family some NIS 12 million in compensation.

In return, the British government will close the case and rescind its intention to ask that the soldiers involved in the incident be extradited.

According to a government source, serious progress has recently been made between the Miller family and Israeli authorities. The Millers had persistently asked for a sum of over 3 million pounds sterling but recently agreed to settle for half. In the wake of deliberations involving the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, Finance Ministry and the IDF, Israeli authorities decided to accept the Millers' proposal.
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Besides talks with the family, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni also held negotiations on the matter with the British government. During talks, Israel demanded that the U.K. withdraw its intent to ask for the extradition of the soldiers involved, so they could be tried in Britain, in return for Israel agreeing to pay compensation to the Millers. British officials responded by saying that they would freeze legal procedures if the family was indeed compensated.

Israeli officials, however, were adamant that the case would not become a legal precedent. "The compensation deal is reasonable. We also reached an understanding that the legal aspect has been settled," an Israeli source said. "The issue isn't over yet, but we're very close. The affair burdened our relations with the U.K. and we are glad that the family and the British government are willing to reach a deal."

Miller was killed while filming a documentary in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. According to Alrahman Abdallah, a freelance journalist who accompanied Miller as his translator, the photographer was shot as he tried to exit a Rafah house while holding a white flag. A British inquiry, in part based on evidence from the video recording of the incident, showed that Miller was shot in the neck by an IDF patrol.

At the time the IDF expressed its sorrow for Miller's death and said that "the entry of photographers into war zones during exchanges of fire endangers both sides." However, according to eyewitnesses, there had been calm in the area at the time of the shooting.

Initially, the IDF suggested that Miller had been killed by Palestinians. Yet, ballistic tests carried out on behalf of Miller's family showed that IDF troops killed Miller, and the Military Advocate General ordered an investigation into the killing. Following a lengthy investigation, it was decided in March 2005 not to press criminal charges against those involved because of insufficient evidence. The commander of the Israeli force that shot and killed Miller faced disciplinary proceedings for illegal use of firearms, but was exonerated.

Miller's family filed a law suit against the State of Israel for murder, and in 2006 a British jury ruled the killing a murder. Last year, the British attorney general dispatched a letter to his Israeli counterpart Menachem Mazuz threatening that the U.K. would ask that the soldiers involved in the incident be extradited.

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      1.   Almost comic 01:45  |  Colin Wright 22/04/08
      2.   dollars 01:49  |  eric 22/04/08
      3.   british extortion for terrorist shield 01:55  |  greg 22/04/08
      4.   BUT NOT A PENNY TO VICTIMS OF TERROR! 01:59  |  Ami Norman 22/04/08
      5.   How much is a innocent Palestinian life worth? 02:15  |  Joe 22/04/08
      6.   Put the swine in jail 02:39  |  *BEN JABO 22/04/08
      7.   The IDF initially blamed Palestinians for Millers death. 02:49  |  Maureen Ann 22/04/08
      8.   * bej jaber 02:51  |  American in NY 22/04/08
      9.   Maureen Ann - How about this? 03:15  |  Fish 22/04/08
      10.   The precedent is 03:16  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/04/08
      11.   The cheque will bounce like before 03:35  |  Igor 22/04/08
      12.   Buying your way out of Murder 04:15  |  Neil 22/04/08
      13.   Brits 04:30  |  MR 22/04/08
      14.   How much compo does UK pay to Afghanis & Iraqis?? 04:38  |  Free Gilad Shalit 22/04/08
      15.   Bedouin Arab serving in IDF shot the guy 04:44  |  d 22/04/08
      16.   compensation 05:02  |  DOV KORET 22/04/08
      17.   dumbest thing ever 05:17  |  HM 22/04/08
      18.   The British also took the money from Khadaffi`s government 05:18  |  Jacob Blues 22/04/08
      19.   Moral Compass for Neil 05:22  |  Jacob Blues 22/04/08
      20.   Just wondering - question to anti-israel talkbackers 05:28  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      21.   Suspend payment until UK pays Israelis for UK-Pak terrorists 05:41  |  Dr. L. Brnd 22/04/08
      22.   HAARETZ CENSOR ALLOWS JEW-HATERS ALL LEAWAY 05:45  |  Jorge 22/04/08
      23.   IMAGINE NEIL IF GOVERMENTS HAD TO PAY FOR JEWS KILLED # 13 05:57  |  Jorge 22/04/08
      24.   ISRAELIS ARE BLOODY MURDERERS 06:07  |  JH 22/04/08
      25.   "IGOR" To which cheque are you referring? 06:13  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      26.   #4, Ami Norman...what terrorists are you talking about? 06:25  |  Silvienne 22/04/08
      27.   excuse me 06:28  |  rm 22/04/08
      28.   #13, Neil... 06:28  |  Silvienne 22/04/08
      29.   #10 - Chris Linthwaite and his precendents 07:45  |  JES 22/04/08
      30.   Another fraudulent headline 08:00  |  Rowan 22/04/08
      31.   #25 - No, JH 08:01  |  JES 22/04/08
      32.   silvienne - does your FAKE sympathy extends to Carlos Chavez? 08:09  |  CK Tan 22/04/08
      33.   If there`s anything the IDF hates, it`s a cameraman 09:08  |  Natallie Durson 22/04/08
      34.   Answer for Mikey # 21 09:18  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      35.   Meanwhile, the Israeli thug who murdered Miller is still free 09:25  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      36.   JH - read #9 09:29  |  Fish 22/04/08
      37.   rewarding stupidity again! he should not have been allowed in wit 09:29  |  v hardman 22/04/08
      38.   Poor old Avi Dichter, still nervous of arrest 09:30  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      39.   #9 Fish. How about this. 09:53  |  Maureen Ann 22/04/08
      40.   Israel has to pay for all its crimes 09:54  |  Chanalau, Tova 22/04/08
      41.   If IDF would have killed a relative of mine... 10:03  |  Dutch Dirk 22/04/08
      42.   response to clickfool @32 10:05  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      43.   For Mikey again # 43 10:28  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      44.   #42 - Brilliant Dirk 10:33  |  JES 22/04/08
      45.   #41 - A bit of hyperbole, eh Chanalau, Tova? 10:35  |  JES 22/04/08
      46.   it WAS murder! one of those "oh shit!" murders... 10:44  |  eric 22/04/08
      47.   Arrest RAF criminals involved in bombing of Germany 10:45  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/08
      48.   All about money, not justice. 10:46  |  Josh 22/04/08
      49.   HIGH CRIME AND CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY 10:54  |  indrajaya 22/04/08
      50.   Dutch Dirk, # 42 11:04  |  Michael 22/04/08
      51.   BRITISH MUST REJECT THIS DEAL 11:09  |  indrajaya 22/04/08
      52.   Gentlemen and Ladies... 11:11  |  Michael 22/04/08
      53.   GOOD MONEY ! ISRAEL SUPRISES ME TO PAY IT. 11:25  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 22/04/08
      54.   INDRAJAYA. SCARED NOW,MURDERERS OF 5 AUST JOURNALISTS 11:47  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      55.   CHANALAU.Unlike your friends Israel admitted and paid 12:06  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      56.   Headline should have read: Israel admits lying 12:08  |  Tarik 22/04/08
      57.   MAUREEN.the sanctions clearly allowed food and medicines 12:14  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      58.   TARIK When have you people ever admitted anything 12:20  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      59.   #39 Fool from sussex GRATEbrittin 12:41  |  Joe Moer 22/04/08
      60.   ERIC do not be too clever,too quick to gloat.Are you sure 12:45  |  PETER SM 22/04/08
      61.   part 2 clickfool 12:49  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      62.   re clickfool part 3 13:09  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      63.   Once again Israel caves in.the flood-gates are now open 13:16  |  YSL 22/04/08
      64.   part 4 clickfool sorry, but I got to finish my argument 13:17  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      65.   TO NO 22. 13:20  |  DANNY. 22/04/08
      66.   Will Britain pay the Brazilian guy they murdered 13:36  |  Fortunee 22/04/08
      67.   Question? Do British intend to pay for bombing in Israel? 13:46  |  17 22/04/08
      68.   Will the British compensate the Jews 13:57  |  B 22/04/08
      69.   the man was there to take evidence against israel 13:58  |  harzion 22/04/08
      70.   clickfool you flatter yourself 14:02  |  brighton rock 22/04/08
      71.   clickfool now that you are a satrapy of saudi 14:05  |  brighton rock 22/04/08
      72.   clickfool your last effort at war has been pretty ignominous 14:08  |  brighton rock 22/04/08
      73.   durson i am content that you will always be on the outside 14:13  |  harzion 22/04/08
      74.   I agree with #3 Gregg 14:20  |  Hilda 22/04/08
      75.   rm if you go to a war area you take a chance 14:24  |  x-ray 22/04/08
      76.   How sad 14:25  |  Nechama 22/04/08
      77.   Who is paying the families of the US marines for those killed in 14:25  |  me 22/04/08
      78.   Clickfool who is paying the family of the Brazilian shot in the 14:27  |  x-ray 22/04/08
      79.   #30 Jes 14:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/04/08
      80.   For Joe Moer # 60 14:49  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      81.   For Mikey # 65 14:57  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      82.   clickfool its you so called liberals 14:57  |  john major 22/04/08
      83.   Oy - Brighton Rock, Harzion, Victor Hardman, Paul Harris 14:59  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      84.   #81 boris the clucking fool and the blame game 15:15  |  v hardman 22/04/08
      85.   ben jabo 6 15:19  |  potobac 22/04/08
      86.   Fortunee # 67 re Brazilian murdered by UK police 15:45  |  Carlos 22/04/08
      87.   Clickfool 15:54  |  David Nigel Braham 22/04/08
      88.   #59 petersm squatter daan unde 15:55  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      89.   #56 petersm squatter daan unde 15:58  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      90.   Shoot First, Pay Later 16:08  |  Knott Bushman 22/04/08
      91.   They do come 16:10  |  roger wallace 22/04/08
      92.   Beyond high time...! 16:12  |  Esther 22/04/08
      93.   potobac "which swine" 16:17  |  apache 22/04/08
      94.   #84 Clickfool re paul harris our local twit 16:19  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      95.   Let`s remember something folks 16:19  |  Jacob Blues 22/04/08
      96.   British also kill innocent people 16:20  |  Raul 22/04/08
      97.   kill yourselves the pope tells africans 16:25  |  papal bull 22/04/08
      98.   #97 Raul 16:32  |  Christopher Linthwai 22/04/08
      99.   Advice from long ago 16:33  |  Tosefta 22/04/08
      100.   #95 labarse of arabia and the names of children in gaza 16:53  |  v hardman 22/04/08
      101.   Killed Brazilians 17:05  |  Severino T. Melo 22/04/08
      102.   NIS 12 million compensation! And the Knesset was..... 18:16  |  Magnify 22/04/08
      103.   re clickfool 82 18:17  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      104.   Squatter Labhras from White Camelia Knights. 18:35  |  Norman 22/04/08
      105.   ireland is going bankrupt 18:50  |  papal bull 22/04/08
      106.   PRO-TERRORIST ISRAELI REGIME HELPS MURDER JEWS! 19:32  |  Ami Norman 22/04/08
      107.   TO NO 34. 19:45  |  DANNY. 22/04/08
      108.   For Mikey # 104 20:06  |  Clickfool 22/04/08
      109.   what about the murderers of Rachel Corrie? 20:24  |  Ibn Loy-Al 22/04/08
      110.   #109 Clickfool 20:51  |  Sarah 22/04/08
      111.   Clickfool 109 20:52  |  Mikey 22/04/08
      112.   Ami Norman 21:51  |  Stephen Connor 22/04/08
      113.   They schlepped the money out of Israel 22:05  |  examiner 22/04/08
      114.   No 65. British compensate the Jews? 22:16  |  Palestinian Brit 22/04/08
      115.   #94 apache 22:19  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      116.   No 66. Hardfaced. 22:20  |  Palestinian Brit 22/04/08
      117.   #105 Norman re Squatter from daan unde 22:21  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      118.   #80 - Chris Linthwaite, absolutely wrong 22:21  |  JES 22/04/08
      119.   #97 Raul thinks two wrongs make a right. 22:24  |  Labhras 22/04/08
      120.   No amount of money should ever be enough.. 22:53  |  Deborah 22/04/08
      121.   #110 more of the myths of st rachel corrie 23:18  |  v hardman 22/04/08
      122.   #121 deborah and the blind side to the real world 23:23  |  victor hardman2 22/04/08
      123.   re121 Deborah 00:27  |  Mikey 23/04/08
      124.   the IDF were wrong! 00:29  |  Lawrence 23/04/08
      125.   Fugitive Labhras from White Camelia Knights trying 00:33  |  Norman 23/04/08
      126.   #124 Norman 00:59  |  Labhras 23/04/08
      127.   #58 PeterSM. The internal workings of a nation. 01:42  |  Maureen Ann 23/04/08
      128.   the most nefarious and dastradly nation on earth 02:00  |  papal bull 23/04/08
      129.   the irish are fit to be policemen on the beat 02:01  |  papal bull 23/04/08
      130.   #119 Jes 02:16  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/04/08
      131.   Why don`t they take it 02:21  |  Scharker Yid 23/04/08
      132.   MAUREENthe fact is Saddam&cronies manipulated& abused the system 03:11  |  PETER SM 23/04/08
      133.   the two witnesses of the book of revelation 04:56  |  roger walace 23/04/08
      134.   #131 - Making it up as you go along, Linthwaite 07:02  |  JES 23/04/08
      135.   #99 - Linthwaite 08:59  |  Michael 23/04/08
      136.   #134 - Steve Randolph 10:36  |  Michael 23/04/08
      137.   Israel to compensate family of British filmmaker killed by IDF 03:23  |  Yoram Matzkin 24/04/08
      138.   Israeli troops may deliberately kill cameramen 07:10  |  Kay 24/04/08
      139.   #33, CK Tan..what does Carlos Chavez have to do with anything?? 05:42  |  Silvienne 26/04/08
      140.   papal bull 12:22  |  Ben 02/02/09
      141.   ... 18:16  |  rudainah 04/07/09
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