The Myth of Rachel Corrie, "Peace Activist" Vs The Real Victims

“It was a war zone,” he told the court. The judge repeated that description in Tuesday’s decision, saying that from the outbreak of violence in September, 2000, and until the day of Corrie’s death Israeli forces counted some 6,000 hand grenades thrown at them in the area, as well as 1,400 shooting attacks, 150 explosive devices, 200 anti-tank rockets and more than 40 instances of mortar fire.
Israeli Commander, quoted in Times of Israel, Court dismisses damages claim in Rachel Corrie case

What indeed was Rachel Corrie doing near the Israel - Gaza border, a militarized area where Israel was trying to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks from Hamas?
The pro-Palestinian apologists and those defending what Rachel Corrie did, have their own answer: a mythology that paints Corrie as a hero, a member of the International Solidarity Movement that claims to to be interested in non-violence, yet places its members in mortal danger.

Back in 2004, The Daily Telegraph described the International Solidarity Movement as The 'Peace' Group That Embraces Violence:

In a 2002 article, the movement's co-founders, Adam Shapiro, a New York Jew, and Huwaida Arraf, a Palestinian Christian, urged: "The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics, both non-violent and violent."

Mr Shapiro and Miss Arraf predicted that "yes, people will get killed and injured" and suggested that the casualties "would be considered shaheed", using the Arabic term for martyrs applied to suicide bombers.

Small comfort to the parents whose children are drawn into ISM.

Jonathan Tobin sheds further light on the real ISM:

But the truth about the International Solidarity Movement was something very different than what has been depicted on stage. Rather than advocating a two-state solution, the group is opposed to the existence of the State of Israel and opposes all measures of self-defense on the part of the Jewish state. What was going on in Gaza during Corrie’s time there was a terrorist war of attrition in which Palestinians sought to bring Israel to its knees with a campaign of suicide bombings and other attacks which, over the course of the second intifada, took the lives of over 1,000 Israelis. You hear nothing about this in “My Name is Rachel Corrie” or any of the accounts of her activities by her fans. Nor do you see the Rachel Corrie captured in a photo of her at the time, face contorted by rage as she joins Palestinians in burning an American flag.

As opposed to the fabricated image of a Rachel Corrie, exploited as a weapon to demonize Israel, the other "Rachel's" should be noted.

In contrast to Rachel Corrie, who tragically put herself in harms way, there are Rachels who were deliberately murdered by Palestinian terrorists about whom no plays are written and were just living their lives.

The Muqata writes about The Forgotten Rachels:

• Rachel Levy (aged 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 5, 13 and 16 while at home)
• Rachel Ben Abu (16, blown up outside the entrance of a Netanya shopping mall)
• Rachel Kol, 53, who worked at a Jerusalem hospital and was killed with her husband in a Palestinian terrorist attack in July a few days after the London bombs.
• Rachel Thaler, 16 years old from Ginot Shomron died of her wounds on February 27 2002, after a Palestinian bomber exploded in a shopping mall's food court, killing 3, wounding 30.

May their memories be blessed.

The sad truth is that actions by mythic heroes like Rachel Corrie only endanger the lives of other innocent  "Rachels" such as these.
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Technorati Tag: Israel and Rachel Corrie and Palestine and Terrorism.