In Memory of Rachel

In Memory of Rachel Corrie
Tragedy in Rafa

By Joi Williams

Rachel Ailiene Corrie was not only a young, vibrant girl, but a also conscious and deeply caring person who wanted to change the world. She grew up in Olympia, Washington to parents Craig and Cindy. She played on the YMCA basketball team and was actively involved in the social justice and peace movement. Rachel went to Evergreen State College and there she volunteered at the Labor Education and Research Center. She played a major role in organizing a conference dealing with strategies and networking for peace and justice. While at Evergreen, she studied Arabic and decided that during her winter quarter she would go to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in occupied Palestine. She left on January 18th of this year. While there in occupied Palestine, Rachel found solidarity with the Palestinian people and dedicated herself to fighting for their rights. Along with the International Solidarity Movement, she and others from around the world became involved in non-violent protests against the Israeli occupation. One area of concern was the demolition of houses in Palestine.

Palestinians face the destruction of their homes routinely by the Israeli government. Less the two weeks before Rachel's murder, another woman, Nuha Makadma Sweidan, and her unborn child, were also murdered by the Israeli government in Gaza when they "accidentally" demolished her house by blowing up another home nearby. Only a few weeks before that, an elderly woman and a handicapped man were crushed under the rubble of their demolished house when Israeli soldiers claimed to have "unnoticed them". Over 6,000 houses have been demolished since 1967. Over one hundred have been demolished in Rafa in the past to years. And it was in Rafa were Rachel and other members on the International Solidarity Movement stood their ground and told the Israeli government that they could no longer demolish the homes of Palestinians quietly.

On March 16th, Rachel placed herself in front of the home of Dr. Samir Nasrallah and confronted the Israeli bulldozer that was about to demolish his house. Dressed in a florescent orange jacket, Rachel knelt in the path of the advancing bulldozer. When the bulldozer reached her, it's scoop filled with dirt, she stood up and climbed onto a mound of earth to look directly at the Israeli army driver inside, who did nothing but advance towards her. The bulldozer pushed Rachel, so she fell and slipped down the mound of dirt. The other protesters were screaming desperately and gesturing for the bulldozer to stop, but instead it kept moving until Rachel was pushed beneath the scoop, the blade, and under the cockpit of the bulldozer itself. There, it waited a few seconds before reversing and crushing Rachel again with the blade. The other activists rushed to Rachel were she lay, mortally wounded. She died from massive internal injuries as she was being raced to the hospital.

Rachel's death was not a tragic accident as the Israeli government would like for you to believe, but instead an unjust murder. The Israeli government must be held accountable for this crime, and the crimes they commit against humanity daily. You may be supprised to know that you, if you are an American, are also guilty. Israel, the world's largest beneficiary of American military and economic aid, receives over 5 billion dollars a year! 75% of this money is spent on weapons and equipment from American companies. In fact, the very bulldozer used to murder Rachel Corrie was an American made, armor fitted Caterpillar D-9. Write to congress, and let them know how you feel about where your tax dollars are going! As long as the message of peace, and the struggle for human rights is not forgotten, Rachel's death is not in vain.

For more information about Rachel Corrie and her struggle in Palestine, go to these links

The Rachel Corrie Memorial Site

International Solidarity Movement

Evergreen State College

Contact Us!