(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/8/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the State Department’s “shameful refusal” to hold the Israeli government accountable for murdering American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
On Monday, the State Department “welcomed” the Israeli military’s report that concluded there was a “high probability” that an Israeli soldier unintentionally killed her during a raid in the West Bank last May. While the Israeli military knows the identity of Abu Akleh’s murderer, it has said that no one would be investigated or punished for her killing.
Despite repeated calls from CAIR, other civil rights groups, human rights activists, and media associations on President Biden to order the FBI to investigate the murder, the State Department instead has tepidly called for the Israeli government to adopt new “policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has already rejected the State Department’s call for reform by saying no one – implying the U.S. government – “will dictate our open-fire policies to us” and Israel’s “soldiers have the full backing of the government of Israel and the people of Israel.”
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“The State Department’s shameful refusal to hold the Israeli government accountable for murdering American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh signals to the world that our so-called allies can kill our citizens with impunity.
“The fact that Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid swiftly rejected the State Department’s tepid request for a review shows just how little his government values American lives, let alone the lives of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and apartheid.
“Unless the White House reverses course and orders an immediate independent FBI investigation into Abu Akleh’s murder, our government will bear responsibility for the next American journalist who dies at the hands of the Israeli military.”
On Monday, CAIR responded to the Israeli government’s refusal to hold anyone accountable for the murder of American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by repeating its call for the Biden administration to order an independent U.S. probe into her murder.
Following the Israeli military’s release of their report on the murder of Abu Akleh, Senator Van Hollen also called for an independent U.S. investigation by tweeting: “The crux of the “defense” in this IDF report is that a soldier was “returning fire” from militants. But investigations @NYTimes @AP @CNN @washingtonpost & @UN found no such firing at the time. This underscores need for independent US inquiry into this American journalist’s death.”
Yesterday, Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-IL) rejected the Biden administration’s refusal to hold Israel accountable by tweeting: “The @StateDept’s response to Israel’s statement refusing to prosecute the soldiers responsible for killing Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh is woefully inadequate. I expect nothing short of a US investigation that leads to accountability. It’s the least we can do.”
CAIR initially called on the Biden administration to condemn the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh and direct the FBI to launch an investigation.
Also in May, CAIR welcomed a congressional letter signed by 57 members of the U.S. House Representatives calling on the State Department and the FBI to investigate her murder.
In June, CAIR and its Georgia chapter (CAIR-GA) welcomed a letter from Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) calling for a full investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh’s murder.
Also in June, CAIR welcomed a call by 24 members of the U.S. Senate for the Biden administration to ensure our nation’s direct involvement in the investigation of Abu Akleh’s death.
In July, CAIR condemned the State Department’s attempt to “whitewash and excuse” the Israeli government’s murder of Shireen Abu Akleh.
Also in July, CAIR called on President Biden to meet with Abu Akleh’s family and publicly call for justice for her during his trip to Jerusalem. CAIR condemned the president’s failure to do so as “a failure of moral leadership.”
SEE: CAIR Calls on President Biden to Meet with Family of Shireen Abu Akleh During Jerusalem Visit
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: info@cair.com, CC ihooper@cair.com
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com