Documentary uncovers identity of Israeli soldier who shot Shireen Abu Akleh
Who Killed Shireen?, a 40-minute investigative documentary released on Thursday by Washington, DC-based media company Zeteo, identifies the killer as a 20-year-old Israeli soldier who was on his first combat tour in the occupied West Bank and lifts the lid on attempts by the United States to avoid holding ally Israel accountable for the murder.
Dion Nissenbaum, the executive producer of the documentary, told Al Jazeera that its makers had set out to uncover exactly who was behind the killing – a secret closely guarded by Israel up to now, according to Zeteo – and that they hoped the findings would lead to further investigations by the US.
The administration of former US President Joe Biden had 'concluded early on that an Israeli soldier had intentionally targeted her, but that conclusion was overruled internally', he said.
'We found some concerning evidence that both Israel and the Biden administration had covered up Shireen's killing and allowed the soldier to get away without any accountability,' he added.
Anton Abu Akleh, Shireen's brother, said the documentary was 'really important' for her family. 'I'm sure it will shed more light and prove that she was systematically targeted like other journalists in Palestine by the Israeli army,' he said.
The documentary features exclusive interviews not just with ex-US officials but also former top Israeli officials and soldiers, as well as journalists who knew Shireen personally.
'We hope that people will be reminded of what an icon Shireen was,' said Nissenbaum.
Abu Akleh was wearing a helmet and a clearly marked press vest when she was killed while covering an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp on May 11, 2022, an act that the Al Jazeera Media Network condemned as a 'cold-blooded assassination'.
Investigations into her killing carried out by news agencies, rights groups and the United Nations have all concluded that Abu Akleh was killed – likely deliberately – by Israeli soldiers.
Israel initially tried to deflect blame for the incident and suggested that Palestinian fighters killed the journalist, but it eventually walked back that claim and acknowledged its troops were responsible for her death, saying it was 'an accident'.
A year later, Israel's military said it was 'deeply sorry' for the death of Abu Akleh, but said it would not launch criminal proceedings against the soldiers believed to be behind the killing.
The US dropped its request for an Israeli criminal investigation after Israel's apology.
Abu Akleh's death shocked the world and focused an international spotlight on Israeli killings of Palestinian journalists.
Reporters Without Borders said on Friday that Israeli forces killed nearly 200 journalists in the first 18 months of Israel's all-out assault on Gaza, at least 42 of whom were slain while doing their job.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Tariffs Take Effect in Fresh Test for Global Economy
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs officially took hold Thursday, as he barrels forward with his turbulent push to reshape global trade. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail PATH Train Service Resumes After Fire at Jersey City Station After months of chaotic threats and reversals, higher rates for almost all US trading partners began just after midnight in New York. Trump signed the directive a week ago, but had to allow time for US Customs and Border Protection to make necessary changes to collect the levies. Taken together, Trump's actions will push the average US tariff rate to 15.2%, according to Bloomberg Economics estimates, well above 2.3% last year and the highest level since the World War II era. Following a series of turbulent negotiations, the European Union, Japan and South Korea accepted 15% duties on their products, including key exports such as automobiles which otherwise face a 25% levy. Other countries were simply assigned rates, ranging from 10% to much higher. Some last-ditch efforts by countries to get better deals failed. The Swiss president left Washington on Wednesday without any success in lowering its 39% duty and Trump doubled levies on Indian goods to 50% starting in three weeks as a punishment for buying Russian oil. Negotiations on higher levies on goods from three of the US's biggest trading partners, Mexico, Canada and China, are proceeding on a separate track. Trump has also vowed to unveil soon tariffs on critical industries, including pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. The coming months will put the predictions of both Trump and his detractors to the test: that the tariff regime will cause a seismic shift for the US economy. Trump has pledged higher levies will slash trade deficits and push companies to move manufacturing back to the US. His critics say they could cause inflation to spiral out of control and cause shortages on store shelves. None of those have yet come to pass, but recent economic data has indicated potential troubles lie ahead as the tariffs set in. July employment figures showed the steepest downward revisions to US jobs growth since the Covid-19 pandemic. US economic growth slowed in the first half of the year as consumers tempered spending and companies adjusted to shifting trade policy. Unemployment remains low and prices have not surged, as companies have so far eaten much of the costs. But some experts say consumers and businesses will end up footing the bill. 'There are signs that tougher times are around the corner. A lot of companies have been building up inventories before the tariffs went into place,' said Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute and a former US trade negotiator. She argued that it is 'almost inevitable that prices increase' because businesses are unlikely to sustain lower margins over the long term. Trump's tariffs have injected tumult into the world economy since he first announced and then paused them in April — setting off months of breakneck negotiations with trading partners. The uncertainty created anxiety among businesses about supply chain disruptions and higher costs. Now, most economies have accepted that higher tariffs are here to stay. Many have pledged hundreds of billions of dollars in US investments to appease Trump and secure agreements for reduced rates. Still, crucial details of Trump's plans remain left to be worked out. Auto tariff discounts for the EU, Japan and South Korea have yet to be codified and until they do, cars will face the higher charge. The specifics of investment pledges and policy changes on market access for US goods - which could help shrink trade deficits — also have yet to be announced. Analysts at top Wall Street firms have warned clients to prepare for a pullback. On Monday, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank AG and Evercore ISI all cautioned that the S&P 500 Index is due for a near-term drop in the weeks and months ahead. That caution comes amid mounting concerns about the US economy after data last week showed an uptick in inflation as well as weakening job growth and consumer spending. Earlier: Trump's Next Job: Selling Skeptical Americans on His Economy The cost of living was a defining issue in last year's election and polling reflects frustration with Trump's approach. A recent Fox News poll shows that 62% of voters disapprove of Trump's handling of tariffs – while 58% are against his tax and spending bill. Overall, 55% are unhappy with his overall handling of the economy. Questions also remain about the durability of Trump's program, as his use of emergency powers to impose country-based tariffs is being challenged in the courts. He is relying on more legally sound authorities to impose tariffs on specific industries, such as cars and metals. 'You see the administration trying to present a story in which this tariff cycle is winding down and you're going to have some certainty,' said Tim Meyer, a professor at Duke University Law School who specializes in trade. But he added that the 'ability to implement is in grave legal doubt.' Trump has insisted his moves will usher in a new economic golden age and has dismissed numbers that do not fit his narrative, firing the head of the statistics agency that published the latest round of jobs data. Trump has also crowed about increased tariff revenues, even suggesting that it might lead to rebate checks for some Americans. US Treasury data show that customs duties have surged to a record $113 billion over the nine months through June. It is not clear he is making progress on another one of his stated goals of the tariff program: bringing production back to America. He and advisers argue the tariffs will cause manufacturing jobs to boom. Brad Jensen, a professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, said growing tariff revenues and jobs simultaneously is hard. 'Both cannot be true,' he said. If there is an uptick in domestic manufacturing 'then we don't have tariff revenue' because fewer goods will be imported. --With assistance from Malcolm Scott. Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie AI Flight Pricing Can Push Travelers to the Limit of Their Ability to Pay Government Steps Up Campaign Against Business School Diversity A High-Rise Push Is Helping Mumbai Squeeze in Pools, Gyms and Greenery ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Eyes 100% Chips Tariff, Exempting Firms That Invest in US
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump declared plans for a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports while promising to exempt companies such as Apple Inc. that move production back to the US, triggering a scramble among trading partners and companies worldwide to make sense of the threat. All Hail the Humble Speed Hump Mayor Asked to Explain $1.4 Billion of Wasted Johannesburg Funds Three Deaths Reported as NYC Legionnaires' Outbreak Spreads Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail PATH Train Service Resumes After Fire at Jersey City Station The US president announced his intentions from the Oval Office flanked by Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, who unveiled plans to invest another $100 billion into domestic manufacturing. Any company that demonstrates a similar commitment would be exempt from tariffs on chips — though the White House will levy a separate tax on imports of electronics products from smartphones to cars that employ semiconductors. Trump's surprise declaration further upends a global electronics supply chain undergoing a seismic shift following decades of reliance on China. Apple joined a parade of companies from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to Nvidia Corp. that have pledged to spend more than $1 trillion collectively since Trump's ascension, seeking to assuage an administration keen to bring manufacturing back home. While much of the capital in those pledges represented prior commitments or longer-term plans, they appear to be working. On Thursday, Taiwan's National Development Council Minister Liu Chin-ching said TSMC is exempted from the 100% US chips tariffs although some local companies will be affected. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told local broadcaster SBS that neither Samsung Electronics Co. nor SK Hynix Inc. chips would incur those levies. Both South Korean chip firms have pledged investments in the US. 'We're going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors, but the good news for companies like Apple is, if you're building in the United States, or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge,' Trump told reporters. While the mooted 100% headline figure would far outstrip analysts' projections, the promise of widespread exemptions calmed markets. US futures rose while Asian tech stocks turned in a mixed performance. An exemption amounts to a major victory for Apple and Cook, who were bracing for substantial tariffs. From TSMC to Eli Lilly & Co., more than a dozen major firms have announced major investment plans since Trump won the 2024 presidential election, with CEOs flying to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and then to the White House once he was sworn in. Sentiment has been 'boosted by Apple's $100 billion US manufacturing commitment and relief that Trump's 100% chip tariff is unlikely to disrupt major supply chains,' said Billy Leung, a Sydney-based investment strategist at Global X ETFs. 'TSMC's alignment with US buildout plans, plus underpositioning in Apple, have helped support this bounce.' But the bigger question may be Trump's intentions when it comes to electronics, given the US is the world's biggest market for consumer technology. The president has said he could unveil separate levies on all products containing semiconductor chips as soon as next week — in theory, that encompasses most everything from cars and appliances to clock radios. Apple's additional $100 billion US investment will include a new manufacturing program designed to bring more of Apple's production to the US. Partners include glassmaker Corning Inc., Applied Materials Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. Corning will dedicate an entire factory in Kentucky to Apple glass production, increasing that company's workforce in the state by 50%, the iPhone maker said. Corning was already a supplier to Apple, making glass for the very first iPhone at the same factory. Apple had previously pledged to spend $500 billion in the US over the next four years, a slight acceleration over its prior investments and previously announced plans, adding about $39 billion in spending and an additional 1,000 jobs annually. The announcement will bring Apple's cumulative commitment to $600 billion. The previously planned $500 billion is said to include work on a new server manufacturing facility in Houston, a supplier academy in Michigan and additional spending with its existing suppliers in the country. Uncertain Impact Implementation of Trump's decision on tariffs — which he said he had not informed Cook of before the event — could have a massive impact on the tech industry. Many so-called chipmakers don't actually own factories, preferring to outsource that function mainly to TSMC and, to a lesser extent, Samsung. Apple announced Wednesday that Samsung's plant in Austin, Texas will supply chips to Apple as part of the new manufacturing program. While companies such as Nvidia — whose CEO met Wednesday with Trump — and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. have touted their commitment to sourcing chips from TSMC's new plants near Phoenix, there still isn't enough advanced production outside of East Asia, let alone in the US, to meet their needs. Nvidia, like Apple, has committed to spending large sums in the US and localizing procurement. But the company is still part of a complex supply chain that spans the globe and can't easily be uprooted and replicated in the US. The increased pledge comes as Trump escalates a tariff push that's set to raise costs for Apple throughout its international supply chains. Trump plans to whack India — a key production market for Apple — with 50% tariffs, the first half of which takes effect just after midnight alongside a raft of other country-specific levies designed to reduce trade imbalances. The other half, to penalize India for buying Russian energy, will take effect later this month. Cook, who attended the president's inauguration and donated to his inaugural committee, has pushed for tariff exemptions for his company's iPhones. Most iPhones sold in the US come from India, while the bulk of other products, including Apple Watches, iPads and MacBooks, are manufactured in Vietnam, which was hit with a 20% tariff. While details of those tariffs — and how firms would qualify for exemptions — have yet to be released, Trump singled out Cook's Apple as an example of how to avoid the increased levies. Apple's promised investments, while substantial, fall short of the full shift to US-based production that Trump and top White House officials have envisioned and encouraged. Earlier this year, the president threatened to impose a tariff of at least 25% on Apple if it didn't move manufacturing of the iPhone to the US, a day after he met with Cook at the White House. Cook told the president that final iPhone assembly 'will be elsewhere for a while,' though highlighted that several components are being made in the US. Trump, seemingly satisfied, praised the Apple leader's plans. 'Look, he's not making this kind of an investment anywhere in the world, not even close,' Trump said of Cook. 'He's coming back. I mean, Apple's coming back to America.' --With assistance from Mayumi Negishi, Yian Lee, Miaojung Lin, Yoolim Lee, Edwin Chan, Debby Wu, Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Winnie Hsu. Russia's Secret War and the Plot to Kill a German CEO The Pizza Oven Startup With a Plan to Own Every Piece of the Pie AI Flight Pricing Can Push Travelers to the Limit of Their Ability to Pay Government Steps Up Campaign Against Business School Diversity A High-Rise Push Is Helping Mumbai Squeeze in Pools, Gyms and Greenery ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Seth Meyers Won't Be Distracted by Trump Fiddling on the Roof
Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night's highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Losing Ground President Trump took a walk on the White House roof on Tuesday, where he shouted responses to questions reporters lobbed up from the lawn, such as 'Sir, why are you on the roof?' On Wednesday's 'Late Night,' Seth Meyers said the incident was a case in point for 'the constant tension of the Trump era: Republicans doing something nefarious that will undermine democracy while the president does something weird and dumb that distracts us.' 'And it's not like you can just ignore it. If the president pops up on the roof of the White House out of nowhere, that's at least worth a mention on the news. I mean, if Obama had been caught climbing out a window in the middle of the night, I'm pretty sure Fox News would have covered it.' — SETH MEYERS 'Well, I'm supposed to be getting beamed back to my spaceship, but I guess I got the day wrong.'' — SETH MEYERS, imitating Trump 'Although I think I know why he went up there. He can't answer your questions if he can't hear them. I mean, if his poll numbers get any worse, he's going to start doing press conferences on top of the Washington Monument.' — SETH MEYERS 'Meanwhile, if I saw Trump on my roof, I would assume he's pulling a reverse Santa Claus — you know, going house to house taking toys away from kids. '[imitating Trump] I just signed an executive order that allows me to take your Labubu collection.'' — SETH MEYERS The Punchiest Punchlines (Come On Down, Grandpa! Edition) 'President Trump yesterday was seen walking on the White House roof for nearly 20 minutes. Man, he is so desperate to distract people from the Epstein files, he's literally doing 'Hey, look over here.'' — SETH MEYERS 'Yesterday, President Trump jokingly said he is ready to install nuclear missiles on the White House roof. Why not? Under the same roof they just had four years — years of nuclear waste.' — GREG GUTFELD 'In a new interview, Trump said that he'd like to run for a third term, but will probably not seek one. Trump said that he might not be sharp enough in his mid-80s, and then went back to wandering around on the roof of The White House: [yelling toward the roof] 'Come on down, grandpa!'' — JIMMY FALLON Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
