PMW Documents How Police Action at Shireen Abu Akleh's Funeral Prevented a
Disaster
Dr. Aaron Lerner 31 May 2021

The bad PR Israel suffered as a results of police action at Shireen Abu
Akleh's Funeral was miniscule as compared to the PR disaster - and worse -
if
the Palestinian mob had been allowed to carry her coffin, against her
family's wishes, through the streets of the Old City.

There is no telling just far that Palestinian mob would have exploited
Shireen Abu Akleh's coffin to run rampage through the Jewish Quarter of the
Old City.

Imagine the LIVE worldwide coverage as the mob destroyed property, assaulted
Jews and did who knows what else with CNN and other commentators condemning
absolutely any attempt by the police to restore order.

I daresay that there are Jewish residents of the Old City who are alive
today because the Israel Police acted at once to honor the wishes of Shireen
Abu Akleh's family and caused her coffin to be returned to the hearse.

=============
Palestinian mob tried to hijack Shireen Abu Akleh's funeral so it would not
be "as if a Christian died"
Itamar Marcus PMW May 31, 2022
https://palwatch.org/page/31588

Following a review of Al-Jazeera and PA TV recordings of Shireen Abu Akleh's
funeral, PMW can report three striking facts:

1- The motivation of the Palestinians who took her coffin to carry it on
their shoulders and by foot was to avoid a funeral "as if a Christian woman
died."

2- Abu Akleh's family had wanted her body taken by hearse to the church for
the funeral, and not carried through the streets of Jerusalem.

3- When the hearse arrived to take the coffin to the church, the Palestinian
mob that had gathered at the hospital prevented the car from reaching the
entrance and receiving Abu Akleh's body. Instead, it was the Palestinian mob
that snatched the coffin and thereby disrupted the funeral. Israeli Police
prevented further disruption.

- A few hours before the funeral, Abu Akleh's brother told Al-Jazeera
that the plan was for the coffin to be taken at 2:00 p.m. from the hospital
to the church in the hearse on Highway One, the main North-South transit for
cars in Jerusalem.

- In the same interview, Abu Akleh's brother made it clear that although
the Palestinian youth want to carry her coffin on their shoulders through
the streets of the Old City, there had already been funerals of that kind
(Palestinian Islamic Martyr style) in Jenin, Nablus, and Ramallah. In
Jerusalem, the family wanted the coffin to be taken in the hearse as agreed
with Israeli Police, so there would be no disruptions.

- 1:26 p.m.: The church's hearse approaches the hospital to take Abu
Akleh's coffin, but the Palestinian mob, stops the car, bangs on its
windows, and forces the hearse to leave without the coffin.

- 1:40 p.m.: Palestinian Jerusalem official: The Palestinian crowd
prevented the church's hearse from taking Abu Akleh's body so she would not
be treated "as if a Christian woman died"

- Same Jerusalem official: The crowd wants her body to be carried on
their shoulders (according to Palestinian tradition for Shahids - Islamic
Martyrs) and not taken in the church's hearse (even though Abu Akleh was a
Christian).

- 1:49 Unauthorized people in the crowd try to hijack the funeral and
carry her body out of the hospital. Israeli Police stops them and demands
the body be returned to the hospital for the funeral procession as planned
in the hearse

- 1:51 The police officers use force to defend themselves and return the
body to the hospital to await the hearse. The confrontation lasts about 3
minutes and the coffin is quickly returned to the hospital

- 14:00 Under police protection the hearse returns and takes Abu Akleh's
body from the hospital

- 14:13 Hearse arrives at the church for a Christian funeral and burial

PMW has examined the broadcasts on official PA TV and Al-Jazeera prior to
and during the funeral of Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, which
confirms the Israeli version of the events that led to the violence. The
videos of Israeli Police hitting some of those who carried the coffin on
their shoulders were disseminated around the world to make it seem as if
Israeli Police were interfering with the funeral. In fact, it was the exact
opposite. It was a Palestinian mob that had hijacked the funeral and Israeli
Police who were forced to intervene and have the funeral return to be held
as the family planned.
________________________________________
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