Trial over death of U.S. activist Rachel Corrie begins

I saw the photo of Rachel with the bullhorn - in plain site - the only one standing. What a brave individual who felt that every effort should be made to speak to civil rights. I'm flabbergasted to read the callus, thoughtless comments by folks who have not thoroughly sought out the truth of what happened. I challenge any one of you to be so brave or true to your ideals and I'm deeply sorrowful for the soul of the bulldozer operator. He's the one who knows the truth.

Why should the US Embassy send a representative to court for every hearing? Rachel Corrie's deliberate actions caused her own death.....Rachel Corrie put herself in harms way...she knew about the dangers of being close to tunnels which are used to smuggle arms into Gaza...by her actions and consent, she put herself in a war zone....agreeing to pay the price. Justice should be done...no "reward" for her.

The main reason that the Jews on Masada resorted to suicide is thay didn't want to be taken captive and become slaves of the Roman Empire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judaea_Capta_coinage Nathan Hale emulated them, whe he said "Give me Liberty or give me deat"

Just because Rachel Corrie happened to confront israel's policy towards the palestineans does NOT mean that she is a Palestinean terrorist! (at least if you know how to think logically) She did not see herself as defending against an Israeli tank but as simply defending a life! (And if the IDF were smart enough, it would have been careful to prevent this). Your case illustrates the biggest problem with the Israeli school system: it fattens Israeli children for twelve years on (barely anything but) an ultra-patriotic potpourri of "Mahpelach," "yrushelayim shel' zahav," and "am Yisrael Chai"...producing jingoistic, fanatical IDIOTS like YOU!

Why does being aa "Physician's Home" prevent it from being used for military purposes? They use Mosques and schoole to conceal their fighters and munition, Minarets for sniping vantage points The soldier didn't run her over, she committed suicide in an attempt to gain publicity and notoriety for her cause, let's just think of Rachel Corrie as an American Kamikaze During Cast Lead, their leaders hid in the underground rooms of the main hospital

Don't take Silvienne to heart, she has a habit of pontificating on matters she hasn't witnessed or experienced No!, Silvienne wasn't there, doesn't intend to go, and she's stated that many a time She prefers the safety of the USA

Those suicides were mutually agreed to Corrie committed hers voluntarily, only making a tiny impression on history, which will be forgotten within a few years

Your anology is quite faulty, matter of fact it's lousy A soldier is in combat because he's under orders to be there Corrie took it upon herself to foolishy put her life on the line voluntarily and then decided to be a Kamikaze to get her point across

If you jumped in front of one, would you hold the driver responsible??

They don't know how to act when now they are the majority,even President Truman said the same thing.

What a sad world we have. A very courageous lady, she died trying to protect a home from being destroyed by an occupying force.. The posts attacking her and her family are disgusting, I use to admire Israel for creating a democracy in the Middle East but now I see it as a brutal regime establishing illegal settlements to steal more land. I hope the US removes its support and stops spending my tax dollars.

How comical that you would say "no American citizen has a right to oppose Israel"... hmmm maybe your countrymen should stop taking our tax dollars from hard working Americans. The home was a physicians home- please don't perpetuate the lies and argue that there were tunnels under the home. Why doesn't your govt just say that then? Why hide the soldier who ran her over? If you are wondering why I say your countrymen, you are obviously NOT an American though you say you live in Fairfax VA. Despicable comments and shame on you.

I absolutely agree with Ira. Having been around precisely such equipment years ago when in Israel, I know from firsthand experience just how dangerous such a situation can be. Also, having seen pictures of the bulldozer that injured Rachel, it is easy to see how the operator would have lost sight of Rachel. She and her cohorts were moving around a good bit that day as well. Finally, we should all remember that what Rachel was "guarding" was a tunnel used to smuggle rockets and explosives that were later used to kill Israeli civilians when no fewer than 10,000 rockets were blasted into Israeli towns from Gaza. It is a pity that Rachel was so misdirected in her efforts.

Israel is the USA's best friend and ally. They wouldn't kill US citizens unless it was necessary. When US citizens support terrorism of course Israelis will kill them and they have every right to do so. Rachel Corrie was supporting terrorism in Israel. What did you expect they'd do? If the terrorists win they will kill every Israeli. "Rachel Corrie was not "supporting terorrists`, she was a pro-peace militant trying to prevent the illegal demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza by the Israeli army." The Israeli army would not destroy terrorist homes unless it was necessary. Rachel Corrie sided with the terrorists and against Israel. It might have been an accident that she got killed at that particular moment. Many of her co-conspirators were not killed. But when just a few of them died, the rest stopped interfering. It worked. You think US citizens should have a free pass to oppose Israel. They don't. Get over it.

Just like the Torah. Good for you!

Some of the people have posted comments that stink of extremism and hatred. These people are those who are responsible for widening the gap between Israel and the USA. American citizens can no longer understand the extremist positions of some compoments of the Israeli society. It is high time moderate forces put an end to this extremism and help Israel be a beacon of democracy again. It is time they make it clear the death of a young woman because of Israeli soldiers' neglect can not go unpunished.

Are you for real? You say Israel has the right to kill American citizens any time it wants? Happily enough, Israel is a democracy where Israelis who kill innocent peace activists can be sued. Happily enough, extremists are not in power yet. I think you're daydreaming, pal. The USA will keep tracking anyone who's responsible for the death of any American citizen, whatever their nationality. And if Israeli citizens are to be prosecuted and sentenced, Israeli citizens will be prosecuted and sentenced. And if they are not in Israel, they'll be in the USA and they'll be extradited there if needed. Rachel Corrie was not "supporting terorrists', she was a pro-peace militant trying to prevent the illegal demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza by the Israeli army.

"The IDF present that day all saw Rachel and could have prevented her death. Don`t pretend otherwise." How do you know? Were you there? Putz.

It is with utter disgust that I read some of whats written about Rachel Corrie. When a Jew is killed in a terror attack there is hell to pay but for Rachel Corrie just contempt and cynicism. I don't even recognize Israel anymore as its become just another country with a murderous army.

I hadn,t yet realised that aPalestinian had made it all the way to the top of the American armed forces or judicial services,when ,how ,and please stop dreaming Ari,she,s gone forever?

Ari, you're talking about punishing Israelis for killing a US citizen. But shouldn't you consider the possibility they were doing the right thing? First, she was not in the USA, she was in Israel. Surely you agree that Israelis have the right to do anything they want in Israel. Second, she may have been supporting terrorists. Don't you agree that american citizens who support terrorists deserve immediate death? Third, she was acting against Israel. Why should American citizens who act against Israel have any rights? Israel is a tiny country fighting for their survival. They are surrounded by desperate Palestinians who want to kill them. Every time they let down their guard, Israelis die. Don't they deserve to kill as many Americans as they need to, if those Americans get in their way? Anyway, it was just one unimportant American. Let's not hold a grudge. No hard feelings. Forgive and forget.

Don,t contradict yourself Ari ,where,s his visiting rights from his parents ?

The driver of the bulldozer, as well as the IDF soldiers, saw that there were peace activists in front of the houses. Anyone with a brain would have stopped the bulldozer till they had left the place, knowing they risked being harmed. The driver and the soldiers caused the death of this young woman out of neglect. They must be punished for their stupid, unprofessionnal, unhuman behavior.

Rachel Corrie died as she was trying to prevent the illegal destruction of Palestinian homes by israeli bulldozers. She was defending peace.

I fail to see how one can compare Corrie and Shalit. Corrie was a civilian who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer. Shalit is a soldier who was taken prisonner by Hamas while he was patrolling Gaza and wearing his uniform. Abucting or killing Israeli civilians is terrorism, but attacking soldiers wearing a uniform is not. That said, I agree it is unacceptable that Hamas denies his family the right to communicate with him and won't let the red Cross visit him. It is a gross violation of human rights.

The driver of the bulldozer and the Israeli soldiers who are responsible for causing rachel's death out of neglect shall be punished. No one in the world can cause the death of an American citizen and expect to go unpunished.

It does,nt matter if or what or but ,Hamas sent salvo after salvo of Qassams into Sderot and Ashkelon for the express intent of killing/maiming Israelis/Jews,war crimes ,no if,s but,s ,why,s or if only?

Yes Andre bless your Palestine lies and distortions of history ,salaam?

Islam sells it,s souls for $ 25-000 everytime a suicide bomber makes a kill (excuse the pun)so yes to answer your question ,it is disgusting?

All this nauseating hypocrisy over naive leftist Rachel Corrie ,but where,s Gilad Shalit who has no rights whatsoever under international law pertaining to prisoners of war/conflict .Do his parents receive regular letters from their son or visiting rights ,what about Human Rights Watch or AmnestyInt.do they care one iota about a kidnapped Israeli/Jewish soul ,snatched from Israeli territory more than three years ago can thay feel the pain,anguish,desperation of his parents,can these bleeding holier than thou leftist hypocrites answer these questions,we,ll soon find out?

Maureen Ann in Bathhurst ,your opinions of what constitues suicide or not ,don,t count for anything on this blog ,g,day ?

Another Palestine house used as a weapons storage or smuggling base to kill Israelis,you have a problem with this ,Silvienne?

Her parents should be reading up on Sharia law if anything Silvienne ?

But where,s Gilad Shalit ,hypocrite?

Hey Palestinian, Rachel is a revered name in Judaism and a tomb named after this revered matriarch ,so take your bitterness and Palestinina hatred and jealousy back to the desert of Arabia where your ancestors originate ?

You can say Kadish or whatever you Palestinians do after the death of one of your own with pleasure but don,t make it my problem as i couldn,t care less?

David your comment will linger in my mind long after I give this "terrorist Corrie" a second thought.

It,s still to complicated a question for Palestinians who allow their state to be ruled by occupiers (Hashemites)?

We don,t believe leftist lies Jane ,try it somewhere else, like in Hamastan?

Still playing the old leftwing guilt trip Peter,so where,s Gilad Shalit in the interim,hypocrite?

Prophet Well Said Kol Hakoved Chag Sameach for our coming Passover!!

The multi billion dollar lawsuit against Islam and it,s proxies ,Hezbollah,Hamas,Iran,Syria,will not go away just because a naive American leftist girl was sent to her death by uncaring equally naive leftist parents ,inshallah .

Which begs the question ,what does an ex army bulldozer driver know about anything except driving bulldozers ?

What do socialists know about courts and justice ,go away?

What does Joe Biden have to do with this argument Palestine Michael or are you lost for words again?

That really would be poetic justice?

Good choice Palestinian as Rachel is a matriarch in Judaism as her tomb in Bethlehm shows ?

Listening to the parents and their nauseating leftist claptrap about being a bulldozer driver in Vietnam but not having all the protection Israel bulldozer drivers need ,it,s no wonder their daughter isn,t around anymore ?

Hey Phil we don,t expect Palestinian sheep to make a conection between a rabid anti-semitic Jew hating Islamist and a naive delusional young leftwing American girl who had nothing better to do than shout anti Israeli slogans and step into a warzone at the behest of her stupid coward parents?

Well said David and the hypocrisy of these leftwing peace/obstructionist movements is there for all to see?

Who sys she,s in heaven?

Israel can do whatever it wants to do, only because it is backed by the US government. So Corrie was killed by her own government in a real sense. Bless you, Corries, for bringing this suit and forcing Israel to come for a time at least out of the slimy place it built to hide its crimes against humanity.

Maybe not in newspeak but deliberately killing Israelis,civillians and calling for its obliteration by Islam and genocide of all Jews is war!

people in orange vests have been run over on side strips at daylight by panorama-windowed cars/trucks.

@thomas "either/or": it doesnt matter if the ground was occupied or not, the question is whether the state and/or driver acted with intent or were gross neglectful. intent of any party can be ruled out, there is no proof. gross neglect by the state would mean something very essentially missing or neglected over period of time, e.g. education of the driver, unsufficient equipment, but it would need to be something very extreme, maybe as not banding-off the area. gross neglect by the driver he was not supposed to step out of the vehicle and look around before any move, it was a secured work site. i dont know, what they could have brought up otherwise, but i think they were not very well advised with their charges. im wondering, why they didnt take an US lawyer, the most experienced and skilled in this.

driver. Words are cheap.

who have a policy of putting foreigners in danger for the publicity value of them getting hurt or killed. Did you like the picture of her burning the US flag dressed in a Burqa "American citizen"?

Any posts by the appropriately yclepped CONnie are to be blithely ignored.

Just for a few moments--you have lost a daughter, the driver could have stopped, if only out of human compassion--what if this were my daughter, stupid or idealistic or suicidal, would I just blindly drive on and crush the young life? He saw her, she was wearing a bright orange jacket, there was no reason to blindly plod on. He was not in danger. The idiot could have used common sense and avoided this horrendous crime, not to mention the bad publicity.

After Caterpillar and Israel, I wonder who is next?Country selling fuel to Israel or Caterpillar driver's optician? Sad individuals.

Rachel went loooking for trouble - I can guarantee all of you Israeli anti semites and haters that the tractor driver did certainly not look for her. Sorry I have no sympathy for this family after having lost family in suicide bombings!!

Is the Israel "Democracy" going to allow the attending doctor to testify at the trial? The last I heard they had denied him entry.

IHOP beat you to it...I hear theyre naming a pancake after her.

Step back for a minute and consider why Rachel Corrie stood in front of a bulldozer. Since when is somebody's front yard a combat zone? Does anyone have evidence that the family who lived in the home about to be bulldozed was a terrorist? Who has the courage to look within and ask questions about the official version of the story? What justifies home demolitions? Are these all the homes of terrorists? Doesn't the Jewish soul depend upon wrestling with the hard questions? It is too easy to say Rachel Corey committed suicide or she knew she was asking for trouble or she was in a war zone. Don't take the easy path. Live the hard questions.

There was no war between armies or two opposing forces being fought out in Rafah at the time. I was at the very spot where Rachel died a couple of months after her death. The D9s were bulldozing civilian houses in the same area in order to broaden the area of no man's land called the Philadelphi corridor. There was NO fighting. What Rachel did was to stand courageously in front of a bulldozer to protect the house of a Palestinian dentist. The bulldozer driver who drove towards here was able to see her through the front window, but did not care to stop, as one would think would happen in a state, where civilized values are the norm. But after reading some of the Talkbacks of Israel apologists here I do realize that some hate activists like Rachel enough to simply run her over. Rachel lives on in our memory as a woman of great moral courage. Read her diaries.

If she was a person doing civil disobedience, then Israel had a duty to arrest her and give her a trial. It is not enough to say "It's a war zone, bad things happen in war zones" as if that excuses it. Unarmed civilians deserve an arrest and a trial, even in a war zone. They do not deserve summary execution by bulldozer. On the other hand, terrorist sympathizers deserve to be crushed by a bulldozer or killed by whatever means is convenient, wherever they are. Obviously Israel is right to kill anybody in the world who aids terrorists by word or deed. But shouldn't they still get a trial unless it's way inconvenient? Corrie probably couldn't leave except through Israel. Why not arrest her? Decide in court whether she was actually a terrorist sympathizer and what penalty to give her instead of just kill her on the spot. Would that have been too hard?

There was no war between armies or two opposing forces being fought out in Rafah at the time. I was at the very spot where Rachel died a couple of months after her death. The D9s were bulldozing civilian houses in the same area in order to broaden the area of no man's land called the Philadelphi corridor. There was NO fighting. What Rachel did was to stand courageously in front of a bulldozer to protect the house of a Palestinian dentist. The bulldozer driver who drove towards here was able to see her through the front window, but did not care to stop, as one would think would happen in a state, where civilized values are the norm. But after reading some of the Talkbacks of Israel apologists here I do realize that some hate activists like Rachel enough to simply run her over. Rachel lives on in our memory as a woman of great moral courage. Read her diaries.

They are the ones who used her and set her up.They put her up to this idiotic stunt of trying to stop a bulldozer.They have abandoned her,though they are still using her name and making money out of the tragic circumstances of this whole tragic affair.

Rachael, caused her own death by putting herself directly in harms way, in the final analysis.

From "Making of a Martyr," by Sandra Jordan. "A traumatised Smith raised his camera and took photographs: Rachel standing in front of the bulldozer; then her bloodied body being pulled from the freshly turned soil; being cradled in the arms of her friends. 'If only they'd had a video camera,' one Palestinian journalist lamented. 'A film of the Israelis killing an American in cold blood would have ended the intifada.'" It seems that Joseph Smith's highest priority was to take pictures of Rachel being killed (he began to take the pictures before the bulldozer struck her), and the Palestinian lamented not that she died but that they didn't have a video camera so they could make a snuff movie of an American college student dying in a confrontation with the IDF. I think this should be brought to Craig and Cindy Corrie's attention, and then we will get REAL justice for Rachel in the court of public opinion if not a court of law.

Like daughter, like mother. These people allowed their daughter to enter a combat zone in conjunctions with terror supporteing ISM. Now that she's dead, they have the shamelessness to come to collect... really sad people.

"She made a dumb choice and paid the price." Like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks? BTW, WTF is the Left Coast?

"It is not a suicide if one does not intend to die. Her mistake was to believe Israel is a civilized country where one does not run down and kill protesters in such circumstances." Israel is a civilized country engaged in a war. She CHOSE to put herself directly in the middle of that war. She may not have intended to die, but she intended to interfere with a military operation. Therefore, she was highly negligent regarding her own life. That's a step down from suicide, but it's her own responsibility in either case.

Rachel's ISM "friend" Joseph Smith expressed, on two occasions after the fact, a motive for wanting her to die in a confrontation with the IDF. So did ISM leader George Rishmawi. Smith, as quoted in "Making of a Martyr." Note the last sentence about "publicity for the cause." "'We knew there was a risk,' Smith said, 'but we also knew it never happened in the two years that we (the ISM) have been working here. I knew we take lots of precautions so that it doesn't happen, that if it did happen it would have to be an intentional act by a soldier, in which case it would bring a lot of publicity and significance to the cause.'" Another Smith quote: ""The spirit that she died for is worth a life. This idea of resistance, this spirit of resisting this brutal occupying force, is worth anything. And many, many, many Palestinians give their lives for it all the time. So the life of one international, I feel, is more than worth the spirit of resisting oppression."

It's a theatre of absurd only Kafka & Orwell would understand. Ms. Corrie had a death wish and she fulfilled in Gaza. Her parents should be on trial for failing to place her in a mental institution.

"I think a more correct, though mathematically incongruous, apportionment of responsibility is about 99% guilty on the part of both parties. . ." Try this equation. The driver may or may not have seen her... Doesn't seem likely. She put herself in harm's way with 100% volition. There is no doubt about that. Now, recalculate, dipstick.

corrie died while standing in front of a weapons smuggling tunnel. She made a stupit decision and seh died for it.

What a surprise, you being a died in the wool right wing American who would rate the rule of law an inconvenience. Your post is a paean to terror-state terror, where protesters can be eliminated without fear of scrutiny or reproach. Child of G.W. Bush's America is Connie.

I'm a fan of Israel. But frankly, Israel is making itself look worse and worse. Are the arab states really the standard of comparison Israel is looking for? I used to think better of Israel. Its starting to be hard to tell the difference between arab idiocy and israeli idiocy - nice work. (Not a fan of Corrie at all, but that doesn't exactly make Israel look good in this episode either - civilized states don't run people over with bulldozers)

I shed no tears for Rachel Corrie in the same way I shed no tears for any other terrorist or terrorist supporter. All this happened at the height of the Hamas suicide bombing campaign aainst innocent Israeli civilians - in hotels, discos, stores, buses, etc., and the IDF serviceman in the bulldozer was about to destroy the home of a Hamas terrorist. Corrie was yelling orders at the IDF solder to stop - who did she think she was, his general? The IDF serviceman didn't see Corrie. It was an accident. If justice prevails in the Haifa court, this case will not only be dismissed but the family will be ordered to pay costs for wasting the court's time. As for the ISM, they are nothing more than pond scum. And so was Rachel Corrie. She's now burning in hell with the suicide bombers she was trying to protect.

a nice jewish name for your dauyghter

Rachel, at the time of her death, was an immature, misguided soul who attended Evergreen State College. This college is known for its radical left leanings and if you've ever been there is anti-semetic in every sense of the word. Instead of peaceful protest, she decided to wave her Palestinian flag and take on an IDF bulldozer as a human shield (palestinians are known for this)and lost the battle. Why would the IDF bulldoze homes? Probably because it was close to the border and the palestinians were shooting rockets into Israel trying to kill civilians from these areas. So as far as I'm concerned Rachel was a Palestinian operative posing as a peaceful protester. Everything happens for a reason and Rachel got what she deserved.

Rachel Corrie got just what she deserved. All the left wing trouble makers should be squashed like road kill. Good Riddance--Rachel. Give the family a dollar and send them home.

It is to bad that a young life was lost, but if you jump in front of a bulldozer, lets be serious. What do you expect?

I guess Biden's lucky he got out of Israel alive. It's a death sentence to seek peace in Israel.

Is our world insane? She threw herself in front of a bulldozer to prevent the government from lawfully carrying out it's duties. She was a useful idiot who sacrificed herself to help the cause of fanatical killers and to help destroy the Israeli state. Tragic, but not criminal.

Rachel Corrie stood against the unjust treatment to a group of human beings whose land is occupied by belligerent political Zionists. On 3 March 2003, Gaza, the same bulldozer that killed Rachel Corrie also caused the death of a nine-month pregnant Palestinian lady, Nuha Sweidan. The bulldozer was demolishing a house next to a refugee camp where Mrs Sweidan lived. She died cradling her 18 month old daughter. Her unborn child also died in the incident. (Counterpunch 15 March 2003 "Rachel Corrie, Nuha Sweidan and Israeli War Crimes" by Steve Niva)

Only Jews allow themselves to be on trial because of a case like that...Her death was a personal tragedy she brought on herself.SHE WAS GIVING AID AND CONFORT TO THE TERRORISTS IN A COMBAT ZONE...THE DRIVER OF THE TRACTOR PROBABLY DIDN'T SEE HER.IF HE DID SEE HER.SHE COULD BE A TERRORIST READY TO EXPLODE AN EXPLOSIVE BELT.SHE DIDN'T CARRY A SIGN SAYING SHE WAS AN AMERICAN...SORRY,THE ONLY GUILTY PART IN THIS TRAGEDY IS HERSELF...But the leftwingers,the moslem brownosers and the usual freaks will blame the State of Israel for her stupidity

While following this trial let us not forget the 6 Rachels murdered by the Palestinian terrorists supported by Rachel Corrie, who indiscriminately targeted Israeli civilians. Rachel Levy (17, blown up in a grocery store); Rachel Levi (19, shot while waiting for the bus); Rachel Gavish (killed with her husband, son and father while at home celebrating a Passover meal); Rachel Charhi (blown up while sitting in a Tel Aviv cafe, leaving three young children); Rachel Shabo (murdered with her three sons aged 16, 13 and five, while at home). Rachel Thaler (16, was blown up at a pizzeria along with her friends) No trials are being held by the Palestinians.

war crimes, crimes against humanity, Apartheid state, fascist, ugly, idiots,vulgar,inhuman...the list is long, very long!

What a surprise, you being a died in the wool right wing American who would rate the rule of law an inconvenience. Your post is a paean to terror-state terror, where protesters can be eliminated without fear of scrutiny or reproach. Child of G.W. Bush's America is Connie.

her parents should check themselves into a mental health facility. since when do you get to claim damages after your daughter kills herself? they need therapy to take a deep look at how they raised their daughter to make her throw herself into a bulldozer.

I admire Rachel Corrie for her beliefs...but eventually even your beliefs need to be set aside in front of danger...this danger represented by one mamouth bulldozer. I have seen pictures taken by the other activists at the scene and I question why none were there to her to warn her or take her out of harms way. Rachel Corrie was a gutsy young woman who thought she could stop a bulldozer...aside from being gutsy all I can add is she was a silly to try. This was a military action...she died as a martyr for the Palestinian cause...that is all.

was an ordinary construction worker ! that whilst working on a construction site he stood in the path of D9 shouting instructions to the driver ! any claim against the construction company would be laughed out of court

We teach our children not to play in traffic...I guess some people don't have sense enough to teach their children not to play in Buldozer in a war zone traffic. To waste your life is stupid...to waste it irresponsibly is stupidity...nominate her for the "Darwin" awards

Those few of us who have been trained in logic must all stand in awe of how this subject brings forth the Non Sequitur raised to an art form. As has Digression (Red Herring), and Tu Quoque (two wrongs make a right). Above all else in this forums Illogic Festival there is the celebrated Pius Fraud. Palestinian terror does not justify driving over someone with a bulldozer, or for that matter collective punishment in the form of destroying homes of people related to a terrorist. One cannot invoke events having nothing to do with the case to justify it. Changing the subject to avoid addressing the facts does not persuade. Two wrongs do not make a right folks. And the ends cannot justify the means when an unnecessary death has been inflicted upon a harmless person. Rachel Corrie was foolish in her actions and at the very least the bulldozer driver was negligent in operation. She died for her actions and the driver did no justice. To argue he did, is to argue he murdered.

No doubt Rachel's own community in the US has its own pressing issues, injustices, afflicted, and oppressed. She is the same type of American that will step over fifteen homeless people in their own neighborhood on their way to post office to send 1000s of $s to Haiti. Charity begins at home, people. Theres no need to fly to other side of world to do "good deeds." She went looking for trouble, and she found it. As for Israel, just another very minor bump in the road. Get it?

True, it wasn't suicide. It was just stupidity. There is no reason to believe it was anything but an accident. Perhaps you have never operated heavy epuipment, when you have a big blade in front of you it's impossible to see what is directly in front of it if it's something up really close. Only an idiot puts themselves into that position.

Before we all get hot and bothered. Has anyone here worked with these huge machines? Has anyone contacted Caterpillar Inc. for its safety manual? I have worked some construction and if you are not in the view of the operator, you are in danger! Did she have any idea how dangerous what she was doing was, I doubt it.

but, what do you expect from a people who think Israel spells palestine?

CNN's web site rotates photos of its headline stories, and had the Rachel Corrie case up earlier. It is still listed on its front page as of 3:30PM EST. Try again.

Made it easy, go to heaven(?hardly) and get flattened all at once.

Tell us Mark, is there any construction going on in Texas? At these sites, do they post no-trespassing signs, noting that the use of heavy machinary is risky and it is hazardous to wander through? How about any military bases Mark? Do they allow anyone to wander around the firing range? Or is that too, off limits. Given the common sense connected with the above, explain how a bulldozer driver, in a war zone, is 99% responsible for the life of an acitivist who is deluded enough to stand in front of a multi-ton vehicle, for any reason.

"Her mistake was to believe Israel is a civilized country where one does not run down and kill protesters in such circumstances" And that was an easy mistake to make...let's hope no more protesters make the same mistake about Israel...

"war zone" "combat zone" you call it...it was a piece of land in front of some Palestinian houses. The IDF present that day all saw Rachel and could have prevented her death. Don't pretend otherwise...

"She made a dumb choice and paid the price" Thank you for your insightful and humanitarian comment upon the tragic killing of Rachel Corrie. I'm sure her parents would appreciate your kindness should they ever have the misfortune to read your post.

You stick your hand in a fire, expect to get burned. She sided with the Palestinian terrorists and she paid the price. Sorry, no sympathy for her whatsoever.

dumbest move yet by a sociopath. Now, her folks want $$ for her stupidity. Good luck w/ that.

she was too dumb to live.

who challenges a tank?

To decide on the case. Even at war time there are some laws, rules and regulations to abide. The Israeli justice system will listen to all the evidence (I believe it will be open to media) and decide based on that. Us, civilized people will have to respect the outcome weather we like it or not, her parents and family included. At this moment we don't know weather IDF or any of its members will be charged. Considering that Gaza was a restricted war zone it is very likely that IDF will not be charged. I strongly believe that at the end of this trial, no matter what the outcome is Israel will come out stronger. It will also expose those who embrace child murderers like Kuntar as heroes as the real warmongers.

what a surprise, you being a died in the wool right wing American who would sell Justice down the river for the sake of satisfying a thirst for blood. Your post is a paean to terror-state terror, where protesters can be eliminated without fear of scrutiny or reproach. Child of Bush's America is Connie.

You dont play around in known warzones especially infront of tanks or bulldozers, she should have known better. Would any Arab country's try known terrorists with Israeli and Arab blood on their hands???? I dont think so atleast Israel has the decency to look into the case, but the morral of the story is you dont jump infront of Army bulldozers in a combat zone.

Rachel is no longer part of humanity, she went to become iconic to some sector of the "enlightend" society, in the dark alleys of Oslo, Turin, Dakar, London.......and a bassement in Tel Aviv. The question the Judge and the Jurors should be asked: Have you seen the play about Rachel (where are Sarah Bernhardt, who replaced Rachel in 19th Century Theatre Francais), no, no, Rachel of the ideologue, those with blkack masks, those who shatter any civilised discourse, those who believe in fary tales so that they can sleep quitely holding the blanket. Ms. Corrie has became a flag bearer of anarchists who careless for her departing. Hopefully, the trial will be conducted with dignity and respect for RACHEL, not for the haters.

It is not a suicide if one does not intend to die. Her mistake was to believe Israel is a civilized country where one does not run down and kill protesters in such circumstances.

If Israel is doing an illegal occupation and Corrie was doing legitimate protest, then the bulldozer-operator who through negligence or malice and against orders killed her, should pay what he can in reparations. It doesn't bring her back etc but that's how civil suits work, it's the best they can do. But if Israel was properly defending herself and Corrie was supporting terrorists, then the suit should be thrown out and the bulldozer operator should get a medal. Corrie's parents should be put in Israeli prison for trying to damage Israel. Israel should announce that anyone who tries to damage Israel by word or deed, anywhere in the world, may be killed as a terrorist. Which is it? Is there a third choice?

David, do you really know how much this family been through for the last 7 years to get to this point, and only after the the government changed so many laws to make sure that what ever the out come is, this family will not even get an apology. (Please)

This article was on the CNN this morning under the title (Israeli court to hear civil case over death of Rachel Corrie in Gaza. I read it, then I called a friend to go and read it; he couldn't find it. I went back to the cnn online trying to find it and unbelievable, not even in the cnn archives. I am glad the Haaretz put it.

As tragic as it is when a young person dies, we must not lose sight of the reality that Rachel brought it upon herself by putting herself in such a dangerous place. What did she expect, that IDF forces should physically remove her safely before proceeding with their objective? IDF soldiers should not be expected to put themselves at great risk in order to protect a reckless and negligent young woman. If IDF forces were to physically remove her from harm's way, they themselves would become vulnerable to Palestinian/activist violence. Clearly Rachel did not fully grasp the the volatility of the situation, and her own misconceptions about the environment contributed to her own death. The responsibility for her death lies with her own decision and those of her supporters/organization who encouraged her to behave negligently.

hey american citizen ..how do you fell about rachel burning your american flag http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_current_rachel_corrie.php

I also find it commendable that Israel is a democracy and fair although harshly criticized by the rest of the world no matter what the country does. In this particular case concerning Rachel Corrie I do not think it is necessary to have a trial. Rachel Corrie aided and abetted the people who want to hurt Jews...she herself could be labeled a terrorist because she was in league with those that were planning on harming Israeli's. Why is it necessary to go through this farce? Israel is always trying to appease the world when in turn the world is always looking for ways to point the finger of blame on Israel.Rachel Corrie was a stupid girl who joined the ranks of terrorists..Israel is wasting their time with this trial and her parents are nothing more than publicly seekers and looking to make a dime on their daughters bias. Instead of coming to grips with the bad choices their daughter made they are continuing the absurdity..do I smell a t.v. movie in the making?

perhaps something can be understood by this http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_current_rachel_corrie.php

There will be no girls named Rachel Corrie among the land-stealing, indoctrinated young women squatting on other peoples' hilltops in the West Bank. Those girls who are pressured to marry young, breed like animals and sponge off state welfare their entire lives. Those girls who grow into foul-mouthed bitter women who teach their children that it's right to hate and steal land. Those girls who are endangering Israel's future with their warped fanaticism. These are the girls that make Israel's racist loons and their apologists proud.

the west bank is not near gaza...another arm chair expert who knows everything

your comparison ISM activity with extreme sports (e.g. bungee-jumping). exactly ! nobody would sue the event sponsor: because the bungee-jumper signs a liability waver beforehand. and THIS rachel did, too. she signed a liablitly waver at ISM (info from some other site, unverified). as the "event sponsor" (ISM) is responsible for the equipment, the place, it is not possible for the bungee-jumper to sue the ground-owner (state) or the rope manufacturer (driver).

1. Read also my reply to Clara From France. 2. I did not accuse the IDF in any of my posts. I just mentioned that in Israel a disputed case can be tried in a court of Justice and if there is a guilty party it will be punished while in Arab world murderers of Jews and Israelis like Kuntar go free and even considered heroes. 3. If in a court of Justice some members of IDF are found to be guilty, negligent or in fault in any way and they are punished accordingly this does not make Israel a bad country, on the contrary it shows the world that it is a state of law and order. It only elevates Israel. 4. And finally: I am an active supporter of Israel here in the USA.

Rachel Corrie should have been in Iran helping the Bahai during their terrible persecution at the hands of the Shiites. Instead she was 'helping' the Pals who have rejected peace deal after peace deal. Had she tried this, she would have been killed, not by suicide by tractor, but by an Iranian bullet.

This daughter that is going to be named after Rachel Corrie will she also be subject to genital mutilation, a forced marriage, receiving no education and in frustration strapping on a suicide belt to kill others daughters in shopping malls. Rachel and the rest of the ISM thugs would be proud of her.

Hopefully this will be getting plenty of airtime in the US media. particularly as Joe Biden was pee'd on from a great height during his visit.

Why are you so quick to jump on the Rachel Corrie bandwagon and cast the IDF as the villian? Obviously you have not realized the deep ugliness in Corrie's heart towards Israel...as for waiting for the arabs,who Corrie coveted,to try Samir Kuntar you will have to wait to the end of days. Don't you get it...don't you see what Israel is up against and here you are supporting Corrie for supporting terrorists who want to hurt Jews in every way. Time for you to wake up to reality and put the leftist veill that covers your eyes away.Grow up and face reality...these folks want Israel destroyed and Corrie was in league with them.

The question of responsibility seems to be censorable. Was the bulldozer driver malevolent or negligent? What about someone foolish enough to lie down in front of a bulldozer? I think that it is impossible to assign 100% guilt and 100% innocence in this pathetic case. I think a more correct, though mathematically incongruous, apportionment of responsibility is about 99% guilty on the part of both parties. . .

It is always sad when a young person dies. Many young people die every year when they take foolish risks, like paragliding, bungee jumping, and extreme motorcycling. We feel sorrow when they die, but we do not hold the event sponsors responsible for their deaths. Similarly, this woman chose to step in front of a bulldozer in a war zone. Whatever her motives, this was a choice, and she assumed the risk for making that choice. I feel sorry for her parents, but they are not entitled to money. On the other hand, I have to wonder about their motivation a little bit - will money erase the bitter loss? Will this amount of money change the policy their daughter fought against? In both cases, I think the answer is no. So why are they doing it? It can't be just to make politics, can it?

Let's not forget also the poor civilian children like Dorit Benisian Yuval Abebeh who were killed by Hamas rockets launched from Gaza. The rockets which might have been smuggled in the tunnels that Ms. Rachel Corrie knowingly or not knowingly was trying to protect. Et maintenant bonne nuit.

It is beyond the pale that the Corries are in a neverending quest to transform their daughter into a saint when in life she was a stupid spoiled entitled yuppie American girl who could not be reasoned with the figure out that her bubble headed hysteria in Gaza was dangerous to the point that even the Palestinians avoided her. She nearly got an entire family killed, and she ignored that othjer people were standing back from the dozer which had plated windows, clearly obvious--Yet she decided her conceit could stop a dozer. She was wrong and she is dead because of her stupidity. She died of Hubrus. Sue ISM, the people who planted an untrained idiot in a war zone.

While the death of an innocent person is tragic Rachel Corries death does not seem to fit the criteria. She was working for a group that has supported terrorism against Israel. She acted as a human shield in a war zone where she should have known better and I'm sure that the bulldozer driver probably could not see her. Its ironic that a civil court in Haifa would take this case. it shows that Israel is a civilized member of the community of civilized nations. Imagine Israeli victims of suicide bombings file a civil action in Saudi Arabia, Iran or Syria. The ultra left both in the US and Europe were conspicuously silent when hundreds of Israeli men, women and children were slaughtered by Jihadist suicide bombers. Now they are elevating Ms Corrie to angelic status. What a load of drivel.

Both appear to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both seem to be squeezed by leftist radicals, terrorists, and appeasers. I'm just crushed by all this nonsense.

Avery, who have been either killed (James and Tom) or maimed for life (Brian) in similar conditions, i.e. outright killing or attempt to kill... James and Tom were in Gaza, as Rachel, while Brian was in the West Bank. All this at the same period of time.

People forget that the houses being demolished masked tunnels through which exlosives and other weapons were transported for the purpose of killing Israeli civilians, by and large.

Your logic is the problem, not his. Soldiers don't have a choice. This lady did. She made a dumb choice and paid the price.

Ever heard of Massada? Where mass suicide was turned into cause celebre.

I will remember her as someone who deserved to get a Darwin Award.

Whether the family wins in court or they don't. Rachel Corrie won't go away. She will be something that Israel will just have to learn to live with. In the new State of Palestine which will no doubt come about within the next two years or so, there will be many places named after her. After all, that's what Israel does. Names places after people. Palestinians will no doubt do the same. Don't do anything stupid Bibi. Enough is enough!

for children (and adults) not to play in traffic. Indeed, while they're doing the construction for such a square, perhaps they should put up extra large signs to remind people that one does not go blithly into a construction zone, let alone a war zone.

In Israel one can pursue justice and eventually get it. In Arab states Kuntar, as you described a murderer is received as a hero and there will never be justice for his victims. The connection or comparison is in the Israeli end Arab Justice. Now you decide which side is sincere about real pace and which side is not. The side that praises a murderer as hero or the side who brings to justice the case of Corrie?

Using your obscene logic: any soldier who died fighting in war, comitted suicide because the soldier was on a battlefield.

Why would they sue Caterpillar? Because it has deep pockets and they wanted to collect money? Sounds like a frivolous lawsuit. Why did the Methodist Church want to divest from Caterpillar because they saw a tractor tearing down Palestinian homes? Why does Caterpillar have to do with that? There is no obvious connection. I said at the time I would be glad to buy all their shares of Caterpillar which is a really good stock and make some money. As I recall, she was helping the Palestinians hide explosives and put herself in harm's way (I am not really that interested in this case).

More than once they've stated all money paid to them will be made a charitable donation in their daughter's name. So peddle your cynical papers elsewhere...like Milwaukee, maybe?

Suppose it was your own home that Rachel Corrie had been trying to protect from wanton demolition - would you still be so vile and dismissive? People like you disgust me...

all those now sueing or witnessing in court, especially her parents, were actively motivating rachel in this clear perilous activity. there was nothing wrong with it, when she reported home about her fulltime-activity as a human shield in front of huge bulldozers in a banded demolishion area where also combats took place. maybe, her parents are tortured by self-reproaches, the eye-witnesses are having nightmares over their stupid helpless- and carelessness when the not unlikely accident happened ? a conviction by court, could mean "relief" for the others, because guilt and responsiblity were passed on... maybe sometimes people seek own relief and not justice.

..The Military of israel has continual problems in investigating itself and seeking justice. This sounds like a horrible event. It's another indicator for the shifting sands of democracy and fair play. If discrimination didn't occur on the West Bank, then protestors would never been there and subsequently no death of Rachel

Her journals, kept since the age of 11, show her to have possessed Aan incredible writing ability. Martyred by moral cowards.

Rachel Corrie was working for ISM at the time of her death. She was obviously not adequately apprised of the dangers that her work would entail. ISM (now) warns female volunteers that they should protect themselves from sex crimes while living in Arab neighborhoods (these are common in Arab neighborhoods, where ISM puts their staff; a female UN-employee was raped recently by several of her Arab neighbors). Why didn't ISM warn Rachel that running in front of armored bulldozers with minimal driver vision in a 'closed military zone' in violation of military orders and in violation of U.S. Consulate safety advice constituted a life-threatening situation? Mr. and Mrs. Corrie should be suing ISM, not the IDF. That they are pointed in attacking Israel and not the terrorist-supporters that sent Rachel to her death tells us much about both Rachel and the upbringing that brought her to her early death.

The very nature of the State of Israel forbids that any Israeli court will find in favour of Mr. & Mrs.Corrie. To do so would undermine the IDF that is the very corner stone of Israeli culture. It would set a precedent that in the future could hamper the IDF. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I doubt it.

AIPAC aliyah-dodgers own his balls. They'd be better off talking to European governments which still have some independence of thought and action.

If justice really prevails, Rachel Corrie's parents will have to pay the court costs and issue a public apology for the stupid choices of their daughter. She made her choices, attempted to stop a smuggling tunnel opening from being bulldozed and stood where she couldn't be seen by the driver, assuming he would stop because she was there. She was worth more the ISM dead than alive--they allowed her to die in a Palestinian hospital when she might have lived. Perhaps the parents should sue ISM for putting her in harm's way? That would make more sense.

Rachel can and will never be forgotten. I already decided to name any first daughter I have after Rachel Corrie. I will forever push as long as I'm alive for a naming of a square and a street in our soon upcoming state of Palestine. God bless Rachel Corrie.

In most cultures suicides are looked upon with disdain and certain religions require that they be buried apart from those that died in the normal manner, including accidents Rachel took it upon herself to commit suicide by getting in the path of a moving piece of heavy equipment

I'm not sure how Phil can consider a terrorist sympathizer like Rachel Corrie a peace activist. Terrorism and peace are opposed, and those who associate with terrorists and organizations involved with terrorists are certainly not peace activists.

... by bulldoser are pretty extreme, but Rachael was an adult and made her choices. The Corrie family seems intent on cashing in on it, for example suing Caterpillar. If she had hit herself over the head with a hammer, they would be suing Craftsman.

Sometimes there are consequences for reckless behavior. Rachel felt that her unilateral cause which never showed any concern for Jewish victims made her unassailable. She supported religious fascists with all her heart and paid the price. There is a moral to be learnt here.

..he seems to have some odd problems.. maybe it's me, but I fail to see a connection between Rachel Corrie, a young woman peace activist, and Kuntar, a murderer..

In 2003 two British citizens of Pakistani origin carried out a bomb attach on Mike's Place, killing 3 people and maiming many others. They entered Israel from Gaza, after having attended events sponsored by by their colleagues from the International Solidarity Movement. The ISM never condemned this - it doesn't sound like the innocent and pure set-up which the media project. I hope the events surrounding Corrie's death will be clarrified to the satisfaction of all.

The question is will the victims of Samir Kuntar ever receive any justice? Will the Arabs ever try Kuntar for his crimes? Or will they continue to praise him as a hero?

Rachel is now an angel of peace in Heaven, but you will never be forgotten on Earth. Justice will prevail.