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Fri 21 Nov, 2003 03:17 am
From the London Daily Telegraph Newspaper:
"Israel's cheque to shot student's family bounces
By Inigo Gilmore in Jerusalem and Nicola Woolcock
(Filed: 21/11/2003)
A cheque sent by Israel's ambassador to compensate the family of a student shot in the head by the country's defence force has bounced, his relatives said last night.
The £8,370 payment was promised to the family of Tom Hurndall to cover the cost of his repatriation to Britain.
But a day after depositing the cheque, his parents received a letter from their bank, saying it had been rejected because of insufficient funds in the Bank of Israel account.
Mr Hurndall, 22, has remained in a persistent vegetative state since being shot by an Israeli soldier while protecting children in the Gaza Strip seven months ago. He is in a hospital in Putney, south-west London.
A spokesman for the photo-journalism student's family, from Tufnell Park, north London, said they were "horrified". "The amount they spent was a lot more than that anyway - about £17,000.
"It's taken more than seven months for them to send a cheque, and then it bounces. They feel it shows Israel isn't bothered."
In a letter enclosed with the cheque Dr Zvi Shtauber, the Israeli ambassador to London, conveyed his "deepest sorrow" to the family, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported. He said the payment was "ex gratis" and "without any admission of liability".
The cheque was sent in reply to a letter delivered last month to the Israeli embassy by Mr Hurndall's sister, Sophie, asking for an independent inquiry.
The family was initially told the ambassador wanted to present the cheque in person.
A meeting was arranged but the family then said they were contacted and told to bring their passports. Their spokesman said Mr Hurndall's mother, Jocelyn, refused and the meeting was then cancelled by the embassy.
The embassy was not available for comment last night."
Another of the Administration's closest friends and recipient of massive annual aid demonstrating their contempt to the family of one of their victims?
Trusting any Govt.
No.
Israel has to change it's leadership. The path that they have been on is leading that nation to ruin. The eye for an eye concept isn't working.
Quite the slap in the face to the family.
I was raised Jewish, and I believe in the neccessity of Israel as a soveriegn Jewish nation. However, I have to concur that a change in leadership is absolutely necessary. What is going on here does the entire Jewish faith worldwide a huge disservice, and we are not all supporters of Israeli politics and policy at this point in time.
Did the family of Rachel Corrie ever even get an apology?
It is refreshing.
Usually when one critizes the Israeli Govt. one gets accused of being anti-Semetic. I am pleased to read that at least one Jewish person agrees that the policies of a govt. does not speak for all of the people. I also know that there are quite a few Jews in Israel that don't click their heels to the Govt. there.
In fact some of the military are refusing to follow the orders to attack Palastinians.
While I realize that Israel has to defend itself I also feel that it must give up some of the teritories that it grabbed up and stop expanding their borders. This fence is another mistake.
cavfancier wrote:I was raised Jewish, and I believe in the neccessity of Israel as a sovereign Jewish nation.
Why do you believe in the necessity of Israel as a sovereign Jewish nation? Surely your reason isn't because you were raised Jewish, is it?
I don't have to justify that to you InfraBlue. Your feelings regarding Israel and Jews in general are well-documented here. Let's try to keep on topic, especially as pistoff has raised some very valid points. This thread is not about me.
Thank you for your responce there, Cav. ...No one asks Australia to justify its right to breathe.
As for me personally, my recognition of justness in the Palestinian cause doesn't lessen my conviction regarding the justness of the existence of the State of Israel. This isn't a simple case of right against wrong. It's the tragedy of right against right, with far too many on both sides who do their cause a huge disservice.
You did bring up your beliefs, though, cav. Why bring them up if they are off limits?
The belief in the necessity of Israel as a sovereign Jewish state is a bit different from Australia justifying its right to breath, monger.
About twenty percent of the population of the Jewish state of Israel isn't Jewish, and constitutional dictates to maintain an ethnic/religious "character" when a sizeable portion of that country's population isn't of that ethnicity/religion smacks of bigotry, intolerance and hypocrisy especially in light of the fact that an expressed raison d'être for that country was other peoples' bigotry and intolerance.
Israel is responding against bigotry and intolerance with bigotry and intolerance, ergo Israel is a bigoted, intolerant hypocritical nation.
Is a hypocritical nation to be trusted?
Oz has become a pretty hyprocritical nation recently.
Stop baiting me InfraBlue, it won't work. If I bring up my personal beliefs and then decide they are off-limits, that is my perogative, plain and simple. Why? Because I said so, and I have that option. That does not however, change my opinion regarding Israeli political policy, which I personally abhor at the moment. Please try to stay on topic without bringing the personal beliefs of members here into the argument. Thanks.
Cav, I really wish I had your control.
Thanks Wilso. I blame my wife for my politeness.
They've got to be good for something. :wink:
The USA has much blame also.
It's too complicated to get into here but many of the US Govts. starting with Nixon Admin. impeeded the peace process by veto in the UN. Many mistakes have been made by a succession of US Govts. and Israel has caved in to the US. a peaceful settlement could have been accomplished many years ago.
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