U.S. State Dept. Still Helping Family of Rachel Corrie

The U.S. State Department continues to provide consular support for the family of Rachel Corrie: the American killed when run over by a bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.

Corrie, a resident of Olympia, Washington, became concerned about Israeli / Palestinian relations through a Palestinian she met in Washington. Through her friend’s stories, Corrie became convinced that Israel was harming innocent people by bulldozing down “hundreds of Palestinian homes” next to the Gaza-Egyptian border.  As a result, Corrie decided to travel to Gaza in 2003 and stand as a human shield between the bulldozers and the homes.

She also joined the International Solidarity Movement.

Through that movement, she met two British protesters who would enter homes as human shields before they could be bulldozed. The British protesters were shot and Corrie was killed when she stood between a bulldozer and the home that was to be razed. 

An Israeli court ruled that “Corrie was responsible for her own death.” 

Nonetheless, the very State Department that was hesitant to help blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng when he escaped house arrest earlier this year is still helping the family of Rachel Corrie.