24 November

Jimmy Kanawati, 37, a Salvadoran of Palestinian origin, was shot dead on Saturday 21 November by Israeli border police as he entered Bethlehem through the main military checkpoint.

Jami Al A’ma, a friend of Kanawati who was in the car at the time of the shooting, stated in an affidavit to LAW: “On Friday 21 November 1997 Jamil and I were on our way to Bethlehem after dinner in Jerusalem. We left the restaurant at 2:00 am to go back to Bethlehem. We approached the checkpoint, slowed down and passed safely. Ten meters later, I heard shooting and Jimmy lost control of the car. I discovered he was injured and bleeding. I did not know he was dead. I left the car and shouted that there was an injured person in the car who needed help. I was arrested and detained at the Russian compound police station [in Jerusalem].”

Jamil’s story contradicts that of the Israeli military spokesman, who declared that the shots were fired because Jimmy refused to respond to the soldiers’ instructions and did not slow down as soldiers attempted to stop the vehicle.

LAW expresses concern over the Israeli army’s continuous disregard of regulations governing the use of firearms at military checkpoints. Several Palestinians have been shot, injured and sometimes killed under the pretext of ignoring soldier’s instructions. LAW demands that the soldier responsible be brought to trial and that clear and strict instructions be issued for the use of firearms at checkpoints. LAW believes that the lack of oversight over soldiers’ actions, and the fact that they are rarely disciplined, encourages the excessive use of violence against Palestinians by the Israeli military forces.

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization, dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.