ON MARCH 16, 2003 American peace activist Rachel Corrie stood with her loud hailer between an Israeli Army bulldozer and the home of a poor Palestinian family in the Gaza Strip, which she had sworn to protect from illegal demolition.

The driver deliberately ran his eight-ton Caterpillar right over the 23 year old, crushing her to death (below). Rachel has become a symbol of young Americans' idealism and courage, and of Israeli cowardice and criminality.

 

One Year Later, Justice Still Not Served: Remembering the Death of Rachel Corrie

"Rachel's death was in fact only the first of several Israeli attacks on foreign citizens in the West Bank and Gaza -- Brian Avery, from New Mexico, was shot in the face on April 5th, Tom Hurndall, a U.K. citizen, was shot in the head on April 11th, and died on January 13th, and James Miller, another U.K. citizen, was shot and killed in April as well. To date [March 2004], in only Hurndall's case will the Israeli soldier responsible for the attack face trial, and this because the British government, after several months, finally responded to the overwhelming evidence presented by the Hurndall family."

Rachel Corrie's last letter to her family