Abu Rahma was far from the first to be killed by Israeli teargas

JosephDana – Contrary to Israeli claims, Abu Rahmah is not the first to have died as a result of tear-gas inhalation. Already during the years of the First Intifada, Amnesty International had reported forty deaths from CS tear gas inhalation from December 1987 to June 1988 alone in its report “Israel and the Occupied Territories: Amnesty International’s concerns in 1988” (published 1989).

Jawaher Abu Rahmah was killed after Israeli soldiers used excessive amounts of tear-gas to disperse the demonstration in Bil’in from afar last Friday. She passed away Saturday morning from cardiac arrest caused by the collapse of her respiratory system. Despite an enraging smear campaign by the Israeli Army, unsubstantially alleging that Abu Rahmah did not at all die as a result of tear-gas inhalation, all evidence support the demonstrators’ version, including the ambulance and medical reports.

Following the tragic killing of Jawaher Abu Rahmah as a result of tear-gas inhalation during the weekly demonstration against the Wall last Friday, the residents of Bil’in will dedicate this week’s protest to her memory. The demonstration is expected to be joined by hundreds outraged by Abu Rahmah’s killing, most notably women from across the West Bank, as well as representatives of Israeli women organizations.