In response to news reports identifying Israeli soldier Alon Skagiu, at the time a sniper in the Duvdevan special forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces who was later killed in an unrelated incident, as the killer of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, DAWN issues the following statement:
"The U.S. government owes the Abu Akleh family and the American public a full accounting of its failed efforts to hold Skagiu, his former unit, and the Israel Defense Forces accountable for the murder of a U.S. citizen and veteran journalist," said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN's executive director. "The FBI should immediately release the long overdue findings of its investigation. Failure to act sends a chilling message to journalists everywhere and makes a mockery of U.S. commitments to press freedom and the protection of its own citizens abroad."
"Under U.S. law, including the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Law, the State Department should at a minimum suspend all military assistance to the Duvdevan Unit for its role in the targeted killing of an American journalist," said Raed Jarrar, DAWN's advocacy director. "The U.S. government has acted as an accomplice to Israeli war crimes not only against Palestinians but Americans too, trumping loyalty to its own laws and citizens."
"While it appears too late to hold Abu Akleh's killer directly accountable, the Zeteo report makes clear that Israeli officials took significant steps to cover up her killing and protect her killer," said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director of research for Israel-Palestine at DAWN. "It's not too late to hold accountable those accomplices, including through criminal prosecution in the United States."
