Tonight, a report in Yediot Achronot by Sokolov Award-winning journalist, Yigal Sarna, offers more circumstantial evidence that Hasan al-Ramuni, the East Jerusalem Egged bus driver found hung in his bus, was murdered. For the basic elements of the story, read my last post here.
Sarna writes his story as a Tale of Two Cities, one Jewish and one Palestinian. Just as in Dickens the two cities are separated by class, wealth, and status, so Jerusalem is divided by race, religion and ethnicity. As Sarna moves from one part of the divided city to another, his observations are sad, almost elegaic, about the opportunities lost by both communities. It’s Israeli journalism at its finest.
At the scene of the crime, which took place in the same neighborhood as the Har Nof synagogue terror attack, Sarna met investigators for the Israeli human rights NGOs, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Ir Amim.
This is a translation of excerpts of Sarna’s report:
“The bus driver was found dead,” the Palestinian investigator told me, “a few hours after the Bratslav Hasid was stabbed (Hebrew). This too is a reason we believe this [al-Ramuni’s killing] was an act of revenge.” According to his investigation, a dispatcher and another driver found him [al-Ramuni] strangled and [his body] almost seated, because the bus was too short for hanging. “He was strangled with thin twine, not appropriate for hanging, which cut into his flesh.”
…Even if the police claim of suicide is correct, the Palestinians accept only one version, that he was murdered by Jews. And that is what fans the flames. This was also the same day that Bentzi Gopstein, one of the primary agitators in Jerusalem against employing Arab workers, was photographed brandishing a noose. The picture was later removed from his Facebook page.
…As I made my way home through alleyways filled with Israeli SWAT teams wearing body armor, as a single elderly Palestinian street sweeper swept among them, I was reminded what the two NGO investigators had told me about a series of attacks against “Arab” bus and taxi drivers. They work alone among Israelis every day. Even the bus driver found strangled had complained in the past about being attacked.
It’s unfortunate that NGO investigators are the only ones continuing to pursue this case. The Israeli police have forgotten it, even closed it. They have no interest in proving anything other than suicide. This rush to judgment will be further proof in the minds of Palestinians that there is no justice for them in Israel.
UPDATE: Interesting that the Israeli police, the very ones who’ve whitewashed this case, are attempting to strongarm the Palestinian pathologist who said he believed al-Ramuni was murdered. Apparently, in Israel if police don’t like what you have to say they can browbeat you into submission. Imagine threatening a medical professional with arrest, interrogation and prison (or God knows what other forms of harassment they have in store for him) because he offers his opinion on a matter within his field. If only the police would treat all the other Israeli Jewish generals, politicians, and police officers who actually lie to the public the same way!
I challenge the authorities to allow an independent forensic pathologist from abroad to examine the body and conduct any relevant tests. Such an individual could not be pressured, hectored or bullied. If his or her opinion supports Israel’s that should go a long way to put to rest any doubts about the cause of death. If this does not happen, then no amount of police bullying will stop Palestinians from drawing the proper conclusions.
Hasn’t the autopsy report already been given to the victim’s family along with the body?
@ Red Eft: Now that I think of it I do recall seeing his funeral. So I guess an independent autopsy can’t now be done. That’s convenient for Israel, isn’t it?
I read that the driver’s bus was found at the first stop on his route. That would have been where his passenger/murderer(s) would have gotten onto the bus. How could there not have been a violent struggle, especially when the bus driver had been attacked before, and would have been wary?
Wasn’t it at the bus depot?
@ Richard
In Muslim tradition, the funeral preferably has to take place before sunset on the day of death (I think in Judaism as well), but in the case of the two youngsters killed on Nakba Day in Beitunia, the body of Nadim Nuwara was autopsied nearly four weeks later by a team of Palestinian specialists and supervised by a team of American, Portuguese, Danish and two Israeli specialists.
I hope this is what’s going to happen in this case too.
I totally agree, and the sooner the independent autopsy, the better.
The truth, which I believe is suicide, must come out in order to give the bus driver’s family ‘closure’.
You are so concerned about the arab bus driver but make no mention of two yeshiva students attacked by arabs today.
One was hit by a nail studded board. Also, you assume the arab Pathologist was “strong armed” by the police to rule the death a suicide. You have no proof. I assume the Arab doctor is getting threats and pressure from Arabs to call it a murder even if he knows it was a suicide.
“…You have no proof. I assume …”
As Deir Yassin says, let’s hope a proper independent autopsy will take place.
It is worthwhile, I suppose, to find out what really happened to that bus driver. But even if he wasn’t murdered does that make any change to the overall picture of settler violence? Does that give Israel’s President any less reason to declare, as he recently did, that Israel constiIt is worthwhile, I suppose, to find out what really happened to that bus driver. But even if he wasn’t murdered does that make any change to the overall picture of settler violence? Does that give Israel’s President any less reason to declare, as he recently did, that Israel constitutes a “sick society” ? (Peter Beinart rightly remarked that if any American politician dared to say that about Israel he would be out of business right away). In the previous post somebody asked for statistics. Well here are some statistics for him/her. I don’t know whether they are quite up to date – but, if anything, they can only have got worse. The source is “If Americans Knew” – the trouble is the great majority doesn’t.
Israeli and Palestinian Children Killed September 29, 2000 – Present
132 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 2,053 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000. (View Sources & More Information)
Israelis and Palestinians Killed September 29, 2000 – Present
tutes a “sick society” ? (Peter Beinart rightly remarked that if any American politician dared to say that about Israel he would be out of business right away). In the previous post somebody asked for statistics. Well here are some statistics for him/her. I don’t know whether they are quite up to date – but, if anything, they can only have got worse. The source is “If Americans Knew” – the trouble is the great majority doesn’t.
Israeli and Palestinian Children Killed September 29, 2000 – Present
132 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 2,053 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000. (View Sources & More Information)
Israelis and Palestinians Killed September 29, 2000 – Present
1,185 Israelis and at least 9,100 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000. (View Sources & More Information)
Israelis and Palestinians Injured September 29, 2000 – Present
10,903 Israelis and 70,121 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000. (View Sources & More Information.)
Daily U.S. Military Aid to Israel and the Palestinians Fiscal Year 2013
During Fiscal Year 2014, the U.S. is providing Israel with at least $8.5 million per day in military aid and $0 in military aid to the Palestinians. (View Sources & More Information)
Current Number of Political Prisoners and Detainees
0 Israelis are being held prisoner by Palestinians, while 5,271 Palestinians are currently imprisoned by Israel. (View Sources & More Information)
Demolitions of Israeli and Palestinian Homes 1967 – Present
0 Israeli homes have been demolished by Palestinians and at least 28,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished by Israel since 1967. (View Sources & More Information)
Israeli and Palestinian Unemployment Rates
The Israeli unemployment rate is 5.8%, while the Palestinian unemployment in the West Bank is 22.5% and 27.9% in Gaza. (View Sources & More Information)
Current Illegal Settlements on the Other’s Land
Israel currently has 262 Jewish-only settlements and ‘outposts’ built on confiscated Palestinian land. Palestinians do not have any settlements on Israeli land. (View Sources & More Information)
Sorry for the mishaps. I put these texts in “pages” first before putting them here. And then things seem to go awry in the copying – it isn’t the first time.
Thank you for alerting us, Richard.
I saw the maan report, where the forensic specialist was ‘summoned’, and immediately felt something fishy happening. The first word that came to my mind was ‘coercion’. I remember. “Strongarm” confirms my thoughts and probably many, many more.
It must feel like sheer terror to be brought in for ‘investigation’- illegally, apparently – and know, that those, who ask the questions, also, have power over your life and the lives of your family!
The doctor, may be intimidated in many ways, if he does not say what is expected of him, or threatened, if he says anything else. Silencing the truth and lies are what seems to be going on.
The Israeli phony ‘investigation” is adding terror and more insult to injury, I believe.
This is appalling and tragic.