U.S. demands IDF probe how American lost eye at West Bank protest
Emily Henochowicz, 21, an art student in New York, came to Israel six weeks ago as an exchange student at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.
By Chaim LevinsonThe United States embassy has demanded an investigation into how an American citizen lost her eye last week at the Qalandiyah checkpoint after being struck by a tear gas grenade.
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Palestinian woman tending to Emily Henochowicz. |
| Photo by: AP |
Emily Henochowicz, 21, an art student in New York, came to Israel six weeks ago as an exchange student at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. She has participated in a number of protests in the West Bank. Last Monday, after the takeover of the Mavi Marmara, Henochowicz took part in a demonstration at the Qalandiyah checkpoint together with a few dozen protesters. Border Policemen fired tear gas grenades to disperse the protest, one of which struck Henochowicz in the face. She was taken to Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, where she underwent surgery. In addition to losing her left eye, Henochowicz is suffering from fractures to her face. She returned to the United States on Saturday night for continued treatment.
Henochowicz's father, a doctor, is originally from Israel and she also has Israeli citizenship.
The U.S. embassy has been in continuous touch with the family. Haaretz has learned that the embassy conveyed a demand that Israel investigate the incident. A Swedish activist, Soren Johanssen who was reportedly standing near Henochowicz, was quoted as saying: "They fired many canisters at us in rapid succession. One landed on either side of Emily, then the third one hit her in the face."
Another protester, Jonathan Pollak, was quoted as saying that Border Policemen had intentionally aimed at the demonstrators.
However, an internal probe by the Border Police indicates that the tear gas projectile hit a wall and subsequently flew at Henochowicz. A statement from the Border Police spokesperson said: "The investigation carried out by the IDF showed that the forces operated at the site impeccably and utilized means according to procedure. There was no directly-aimed fire in the incident."
A statement from the Foreign Ministry said: "The incident is known. We have not received an official request from the Americans on this matter. We are in a very open and effective dialogue with them about the incident."
Henochowicz's attorney, Michael Sfard, yesterday demanded that the Samaria and Judea District police (which investigates suspected criminal use of weapons by Border Policemen in the West Bank ) launch an investigation. "According to testimony I have begun to receive, the firing was at close range and was directly aimed, and if this is correct, it is clearly a criminal act for which those involved must answer. My client and her family have authorized me to say that they demand that her unnecessary injury be fully investigated, and that we spare no effort to ensure that law enforcement authorities carry out their duty in this matter," Sfard wrote in his demand.
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If she is here as a student in Jerusalem, why was she involved in protest in West Bank? i am sorry this thing happened, but it is unreasonable for the US embassy to ask Israel such question, when they should question their citizen why was she involved in this demonstration.
An internal probe (oh how decent internal probes in Isreal) by the Border Police (the killers) indicates that the tear gas projectile hit a wall and subsequently flew at Henochowicz (very typical of Israel internal probes findings)
The IDF's "wall story" doesn't make sense. How did the IDF intend to disperse the protesters with gas grenades if they were firing at walls and not in the direction of the protesters?
I am amazed by the insensitvity of of these comments. When Israel regains her humanity, peace will again have chance.
How long will Israel occupy, violate human rights and lie? This is unsustainable from a political, legal and moral standpoint.
tear gas canisters are not to be shot at eye level. but it seems, this happens all the time. they are mostly aimed directly at protestors bodies and heads. is that the "deterrence" of your deterrence-obsessed government, for those daring to oppose something ? it took exactly a week, until this horrible event made it to the news. sad, too. the girl was mutilated, because she was holding a banner. are you proud of your army ?
I hope she gets well, joins her family and returns to her studies in the arts. I wish her a speedy recovery with her vision fully intact. Zionists have shown no regard to anyone - be they Jewish, Christian, Muslim or whatever - and that includes nationalities, be they Americans, British or Turkish. The problem is and will remain to be Zionism. An ideology born of good intention gone terribly wrong.
That's awful. Don't compare this to Corrie - participating in a protest isn't an inherently dangerous activity, and this just looks like terrible luck. Emily could reasonably expect that there wouldn't be injuries at the protest. Positioning oneself in front of a bulldozer IS inherently dangerous. Corrie & her friends put themselves in a situation where 1) something could easily go wrong, and 2) if something went wrong it would be basically impossible to recover the situation safely. In other words, Rachel knowingly assumed a huge risk, and Emily didn't.
The Zionists who have posted messages of hate should be ashamed of themselves. Question - Why should anyone care about activists getting hurt? Answer – Because democratic nations are not supposed to hurt activists taking part in political demonstrations. Where the IDF or Israeli Police use supposed non-lethal weapons in a menacing way, ie firing high speed tear gas canisters directly at demonstrators – you must question their intent. History has show us that both IDF and Israeli Police are guilty of badly inhuring demonstrators this way.
She was protesting peacefully. She is a Jewish girl from NY and my respect goes to her. It is a constant reminder that regardless of race, religion and color, some people look at other as human being. People like her are a constant reminder why we should take pride being human. It is a reminder to all of us to treat others humanly. I wish I could do something for her. What a girl! Salam and shalom to her.
The previous comments are disgusting.DO THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ANY FEELINGS ?
Amazing how it only seems to happen in Israel - ALL the time!
How hypocritical of the USA!
These naive kids think that activism is a game. This unfortunate young woman found out otherwise...and she had plenty to protest about back home in America.
Do not blame the shooter, blame the one who put a gun in his hand. The Americans who outfitted him, financed him and sheild him from any invistegation. American you lost your grip. What happened to the USS Liberty, Rachel Corrie and many others?
Protesting peacefully is an action worthy of praise in democratic countries, it happans all over the world every day without nobody losing an eye for it. This country has just gotten insane.
who got killed in the flotilla and asking for her eye probe .. proves double standards.
An American Jewish girl -- an American Jewish girl of Israeli ancestry no less -- loses an eye, and the first five posters all but applaud the event. You need to check yourselves. You really do.
Israel understands nothing, inverstigation from Israel authorities makes no sense at all: killers want to kill... that's it. No tourists should visit Israel. Nobody can support this country furthermore...This land is now attacking Australians, Germans, U.S. citizens. Is now the time for israel to start war against the western world???
Emily stood up for what was right no matter what the cost. She knew she was licked before she began but she began anyways. Its the "End of the Beginning" for Racist Israel.
"The investigation carried out by the IDF showed that the forces operated at the site impeccably and utilized means according to procedure. There was no directly-aimed fire in the incident." Let me guess: The investigation consisted in asking the Border Police unit whether they purposefully aimed at any demonstrators, and they said no, and added that they acted "impeccably". No other interviews conducted, no technical investigation - case closed! At least that's how it's been in all the other cases.
Haaretz this none sence you only pick and choose what helps your agenda , then why have these talk backs if I can't voice my opinion and answer some of your readers ?? I have responded in the past 30 minutes to 3 of your readers comments , not one has been posted !! Thanks for this lie and joke
that Israel engages in. If Israelis did this to one of their own, then, there are no limits to what they do to the Palestinians.
And of coarse, par for the course, the IDF claims they behaved impeccably. No News there. I hope the parents of this latest victim will get justice. But I found it interesting that we hear the US government publically demanding a probe of her attack by Israeli forces and yet a young American citizen of Turkish origin was shot dead by these same brutes and we hear nothing. Silence on that.
Nothing epitomizes more the coarse knee-jerk dishonest dismissal of all protest and resistance as "terrorism" than this ugly comment.
I ll be fair, If Israel is willing to do that to its own people that shows more integrity than seen in them before.
quit supporting israel unconditionally. and she's not the first person to get hit in the face with a tear gas canister- why were they even aiming that high? they aim for the face deliberately.
She had no business being there knowing the danger these radical Muslind start. shame it happened but with her attending other protests she had the brain to know what could happen. what is anyone to do when things are thrown at soldiers protecting their borders? When they turn on the people protecting their land knowing all its doing is wanting trouble they ask for it.have no
She took part in a violent protest, not a square dance. These things happen in violent protests. Anyone who takes part in such a protest must assume some risk of physical injury.
Complete jackasses, all five of you. Do you understand what d-e-m-o-c-r-a-c-y means? How it is practiced in true democracies, in countries that are civilized with elemental civil rights?
These comments posted by the pro-Israel crowd are the very reason why the world is constantly amazed at the arrogance and lack of human feeling displayed by both the Israel government and Israeli people. This young girl was actually standing on the side observing. The IDF targets a civilian (sound familiar?) and she gets injured for life. So ... what do the the kind pro-Israeli people do? Condemn her and praise the IDF. Despicable!
I'm sorry for her injury but why was this young women protesting in the West Bank? She put herself in harms way and now wants to blame the police. Would it not have made more sense to protest in say Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? During the start of the Iraq War, American protesters didn't go to Iraq, they protested in American streets.
Nevermind that forensics in many cases can show where soldiers have engaged in war crimes or crimes against humanity and, in this case, against a Jewish American. Tell when are people going to bankroll such a state? I feel for ordinary Israelis. We are all human beings, but having a soldier shoot a girl at close range and blinding her is a bit too much. It's too much.
There are some pretty vile responses here. Why don't you people get a life. This poor girl lost an eye and you're accusing her? Shame on you!
How long the majority of the Israelis will allow the IDF and the reckless politicians to continue with gross violation of human rights. WHY are you turning the whole WORLD against you WHY ? Please save Israel from becoming a pariah state, please.
These weapons are paid for by the US congress, wake up and smell he coffee US people. try to see what Emily Henochowicz sees. Emily, I am deeply sorry for your loss, but please be proud. to many people you are now more beautifully than any girl can ever be. believe me this will be a new begging for you, you will see.
That is what is known in the criminal code as "a no-no". Not that this ever seems to worry the border police. Well, it should this time, because this time you fired it into the face of a Jewish American Princess. Someone should pay for this, and pay big time.
This young lady went to a protest in a fporeign country trying to make a statement. The crowd was told to disperse, and it did not. proetsters think they have this inane right tio disobey lawful orders of dispersal. Theyn continued their protest, and gas cannisters were fired. She caught one in the head. She lost her eye because she refused to follow orders and leave. She lost her eye because she went to a protest, she lost her eye because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Investigation over. next time when the Zpolice say mpove on, do it. Israel does not screw around with protesters, they take it seriously
In this case, the lesson was, don't protest against Israels policies. Israel has applied this lesson many times. There have been a lot of people killed and injured at these weekly protests. Sadly, they got an American girl or there would hardly be an issue. It seems that the protesters are not the only ones who have failed to learn their lesson. Israel has consistently failed to learn from their mistakes. Nobody hates admitting error more than the Israeli government. That is why they will feel obligated to continue causing casualties at the weekly protest, but they may be smart enough to avoid aiming at Americans for a while.
The IDF is clearly a bunch of lunatics!
She entered a war zone on the side of rioters attacking the IDF.
"the most moral army in the world" is on the lose. Some one has to do something before they bring their own destruction
Tear gas cannisters are supposed to be fired at the ground to create a barrier and disperse the gas - this, like the Mavi Mamara incident, is clearly the result of IDF's poor training, lack of role-playing for likely incidents, intellectual laziness combined with arrogance which seems to typify the Netanyahu government, and probable criminal intent among the soldier firing the canister.
This is a tragedy and horror for this brave young woman who was trying to help the fight for justice. But why - for God's sake - could the US not show the same justified outrage at the killing of the 19 year old US citizen on the Marmara?
As with almost all "investigations" by the Border Police or IDF, the victim will be blamed for their injury or death. That's the way the justice system operates in Israel.
Well Done,as always the soldiers of Israel did nothing wrong...It is just an accident,as well as the Mavi Marmara....I guess when the Israeli government ever apologize to anyone....
should have spent her time in school, not at protests.
Within a single day one of my countrymen was shot in the head FOUR TIMES by Israeli militants and another lost an eye in another attack. President Obama should not be demanding an probe by the IDF, he should send a judge advocate general to investigate. After all, we don't demand that Al-Qaeda investigate their own acts of terror, now do we?
The IDF's best commandos, who say they were aiming for legs, managed to shot flotilla activists in the head. Border police, whose guidelines are to shoot teargas into the air to drop into protestors manage to hit a wall 3 times in short succession & hit a protestor in the eye. Apparently all Israeli forces need to get some marksmanship training - their aim is so bad they're a danger to themselves.
A rich Jewish American with dual Israeli citizenship.
There are pictures of her standing in what looks like a parking lot when she is hit by the tear gas projectile.. No wall anywhere near her. I guess it's just the usual lies by Israel. I guess the Border Police just assumed she wasn't Jewish. If you support the Palestinians you are assumed to be an enemy combatant I guess. Shame on you Israel. This has happened many times. These tear gas guns are used as weapons against demonstrators.
at how these protesters thrust themselves into the action and then complain when they get hurt. My heart goes out to her for the injury, but did this girl learn nothing from the Rachel Corrie fiasco? Either help Israeli soldiers do their jobs, or stand out of their way.
Help the Israeli soldiers do what Mark? Demolish Palestinian homes? Stop pregnant ladies at sheckpoints so some IDF young punk can get orders to let them through after the lady either delivered or died in the car? impose un-ending curefews on civilians? Shoot people for the slieghtest provocation? Detain and beat minors? Provide security to rampaging settlers? Or starve and imprison millions of people in an open air gheto because they democraticaly elected a government not to their government's liking in Gaza? The world have decided to shun racism, discrimination and opression so why are you tolerating it in Israel? How can you in one breath say sorry for your eye but that we must help Israeli unaceptable behavior. The world is finaly seeing and calling Israel for what it is..... Unless Israel end it's occupation and leave the Palestinian people to decide their future the more isolated they will become!
in the first place why was she there? She should have been at school ....
may be Mr. Abbas would grant her citizenship and name a street after her. I say it without even trying to smile, she wanted to help and she wanted to come home with message she learned. At least she was not trying to die in some suicidal con that is lately became some sort of a game for our youngsters. I doubt though. Usually Palestinians glorify dead people. This whole fimiam to death sacrifices, smoldering around everything related to Palestinian - Israeli relationship is probably greater obstacle than even tribal hatred. May be by acknowledging not the most radical people, however far out of center they are we can come closer? Or at least signal to our youngsters that we do look to hear from them, without having them come home in caskets.
And I am constantly amazed at how ALL civilized countries are better able to accomodate legitimate criticism than is Israel. Let's see...Israel assassinates moderate Palestinian leaders; assaults and kills deliverers of aid to Gaza and calls them terrorists; bulldozes a young woman who is protesting the destrution of Palestinian housing. Not to mention, blinding a young girl whose only crime was criticizing Israeli policies that the whole world is also criticiziing. I am a FORMER supporter if Israel. However, it seems to me than any fair-minded person who supports balance and justice in the world can no longer support Israel's one-sided perspectives, in which vastly greater suffering from other peoples is not equated to even minor Israeli inconvenience.
When some 21 years old have more sense then you do , she is standing for what she believe .for your information she is a Jew !!
And laugh off causing them serious injury for peacefully demonstrating? Is your country Iran by any chance?
Can she not protest without Israel getting violent and killing anyone who dares go against them? How dare they.
A real democracy - America- would never do that to protestors. Israel does not have freedom of speech or press or LIFE.
Truly. Why don't more activists assist the IDF in demolishing the homes of Palestinian physicians, as in the case of Rachel Corrie? Actually, a good point, why don't you see international volunteers, young Israelis, and others flocking to Bilin, Nilin, Sheikh Jarrah, and elsewhere to help the IDF do their job? Perhaps it is the nature of the job they're doing.
What a jackass!
Can they use sticks and stones or is that technology not allowed to them either?
Use is to get out , stop these killings and act like human beings!!! Enogh is enogh it looks like your government & your IDF can't function without violance to the civilian , I can tell this with your mentalty and your goverment mentality Israel will never see a peacfull time , the way I see it if I was a palastenian I would more to resist you and will never submit to your will , you guys have lost your humanity and the worst part about you don't know it !!!
thick?
Amazing isn't it. If you go to a protest in a 'war zone' [no it's an Israeli attack zone, there's no war] then you must expect to lose an eye? I remember once reading about Israel being the only democracy in the Middle East. Presumably that was just meant as a sick joke. Do you people not understand why Israel is the least popular state in the world? Attacking unarmed demonstrators with tear gas is generally frowned on in the civilised world. Clearly Israel is an exception to such minor matters.
It was used as a weapon. They could have used them in the proper way. They didn't.
What are you talking about? Israel isnt the ones using stones and rocks, its the innocent Palestinians who have to use that against Israeli armed forces who fire rockets, missiles, guns, tanks. Get over yourself and stop playing the victim, Israel, you are the biggest terrorist state in the world as of right now.
how about allowing peaceful, non-violent demonstrators to exercise their right to free speech without being attacked at all? If this happened in NYC or DC, their would be a huge outcry - not to mention a civil rights lawsuit.
barbarian, no better than al-qeida or the taliban.