LETTERS: For the first time, Israel's supreme protector and financier, the United States, has come out with supportive statements for the Palestinians after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist.
Shireen, 51, who worked for Al Jazeera for 25 years, was shot while covering an Israeli military raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on May 11.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for "an immediate and credible investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death", expressing his deep condolences and deep respect for the "work that she did as a journalist for many years, widely respected around the world".
"We are deeply troubled by the images of Israeli police intruding into the funeral procession of Shireen Abu Akleh. Every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner," he said.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said: "We are heartbroken by and strongly condemn the killing", an "affront to media freedom everywhere" and the perpetrators "must be held accountable".
The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield called Shireen's death "really horrifying" and called for a transparent and thorough investigation.
US Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote on Twitter: "The killing of Shireen Abu Akleh is a horrific tragedy", to which a rightful sarcastic rejoinder from Al Jazeera columnist, Andrew Mitrovica, was: "Newsflash, Speaker Pelosi, shooting a Palestinian-American journalist in the face on purpose is not a 'tragedy'. It is a crime. We know, we know, Israeli soldiers never commit crimes."
Perhaps, this has to do with the Russia-Ukraine war, where it is observed a double standard exists in which the US is superfast in condemning perceived atrocities and injustices as compared with the real atrocities and injustices of Israel.
At the recent Asean-US Special Summit on May 14 in Washington, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob was the only Asean leader courageous enough to bring up the issue of Israeli atrocities at a meeting with Biden.
"Israeli atrocities must be stopped. The US must be honest in resolving the issue. If the US can take swift action in Ukraine, we want the same swift action to be taken on the Palestinian issue," he said.
Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic clergy in Jerusalem strongly condemns actions of Israeli police at Shireen's funeral, that they were "disrespectful and disproportionate" in their use of force.
As the late Shireen is a Christian, this goes to show the Palestinian issue is an all-encompassing issue involving even Palestinian Christians who are being continually oppressed along with their Muslim brethren.
The question now is whether Israel will carry out the investigation.
But actually, it will be more interesting to watch the reactions of the US, European Union and UN Security Council in the event Israel drags its feet or refuses to investigate the killing.
JAMARI MOHTAR
Editor, Let's Talk! newsletter
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times