GENDRON -- The Canadian BULL-dozer

By Tabitha Korol

Stéphane Gendron lives in free Canada with the right to hate whomever and whatever he chooses. However, his work shows he has not done the research incumbent upon a journalist on which to base his hate and bias. Neither does he even remotely comply with Canadian Broadcast Standards Council's guidelines. He uses odious language against the people of the State of Israel, one of the most modern, democratic, and magnanimous states in the world. Why was this permitted by CBC?

Gendron displayed his ignorance, not only of the circumstances surrounding Rachel Corrie's death, but his ignorance about Israel, which make his opinions ring hollow. He has betrayed his position of trust because of his bigotry and serious character flaw; he lied about an event and deceived the public.

One of his loathsome accusations was a statement that Israel bulldozes Palestinians, obviously without fact-checking. It was incumbent upon a reporter to read at least as many reports as I did, in the name of truth and responsibility. Many reports stated why Corrie was there, what she was doing during the bulldozer's operation, the line of vision of the equipment operator, and Corrie's possible frame of mind.

Why was the American student in Gaza? She was a frequent activist and American member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), who took a year to travel to Rafah, in the Gaza Strip during the Second Intifada. She was one of seven who acted as human shields to impede IDF-led bulldozer demolition of illegal housing on the border of Rafah refugee camp and Egypt, in order to destroy guerrilla hideouts and tunnels used for smuggling weapons to kill Israeli citizens. However, on this day, the IDF was conducting only routine terrain leveling and debris clearing. The investigation showed Corrie was standing behind the debris, an area unseen by any driver from his protective cage.

Qishta, a Palestinian interpreter, noted: "Late January and February was a very crazy time, when house demolitions were taking place all over the border strip and the activists were "not only brave, they were crazy." A British participant had also been wounded by shrapnel. Palestinian militants expressed concern that the "internationals might be spies." Corrie learned some Arabic to overcome suspicion, and participated in mock trials denouncing the Bush administration and burned a mock US flag, fostering hate against the US (yes, a traitor to her country). In time, the ISM members were taken into Palestinian homes for bed and meals, and the activists sought to engage the military further.

The military investigation of the IDF Judge Advocate's Office concluded that Corrie was killed by debris pushed over by the Caterpillar D9 bulldozer, which has a restricted field of vision with several blind spots, and the soldiers had to stay in their armored vehicles that day becaise of Palestinian sniper fire. Although the ISM later claimed that when the bulldozer refused to stop or turn aside, Corrie climbed up onto the mound of dirt and rubble being gathered in front of it, and knelt in front of it, an autopsy of Corrie's body revealed that the cause of death was from falling debris and not from the tractor physically rolling over her. It was a tragic accident.

Journalist and Middle East commentator Tom Gross's article, "The Forgotten Rachels," referred to six Rachels, other victims of the Arab-Israeli conflict whose deaths received no outside coverage. Thanks to Rachel Corrie and fellow activists, the smuggling of explosives from Egypt into Gaza continued — and were later used to kill children in southern Israel." A National Review editorial argued, "Corrie's death was unfortunate, but more unfortunate is a Western media and cultural establishment that lionizes 'martyrs' for illiberal causes while ignoring the victims those causes create."

The ISM to which Corrie belonged was directly responsible for illegal behavior and conduct in the area of her death and their actions directly led to this tragedy. The Israeli army's report, in The Guardian, said Corrie stood behind a mound of dirt, hidden from view. She had not been run over by an engineering vehicle but struck by a hard object, most probably a slab of concrete. And why did her friends not reach out to save her?

Then a scenario became evident because of the experiences of other female activists — that in all likelihood, Corrie was one of many female activists who are used by Palestinians for their sexual gratification — "routinely harassed and raped," not unlike the comfort women of the Japanese during World War. Their culture is not like ours; "Palestine" is not safe for women. An Islamic Mufti in Copenhagen sparked a political outcry after publicly declaring that women who refuse to wear headscarves are 'asking for rape."

Post Script: Norman Finkelstein, a rabid anti-Zionist, has confirmed that female internationals serve as "comfort women" for Palestinians. It is therefore entirely possible that Corrie was raped, betrayed by her fellow activists to maintain silence, and depressed enough to act irresponsibly in front of the bulldozer.

© Tabitha Korol