Three years ago, Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American peace activist was murdered. She sat down in front of a Palestinian home in Rafah attempting to stop its destruction by an Israeli bulldozer. The bulldozer's driver crushed Rachel, brutally ending her life.

A British theatrical group edited her e-mails and journal entries into a one-woman play, “My Name is Rachel Corrie”, which has, since 2005, had two critically acclaimed runs on the London stage. The play has yet to appear in the US and given recent developments the play may never be performed on a major US stage.

by James Zogby

Each Palestinian has a special place in their heart for Rachel Corrie. She symbolized strength, perseverance, and self assuredness. Conversely, she was labeled an enemy of Israel, a nuisance of the American government and a target of ridicule by pro-Israeli propagandists. Fifty-eight years ago, my grandparents were dispossessed from their land in Palestine and this energetic little white girl from Olympia, Washington traveled half the world to try to fulfill their dream: the fruition of justice in Palestine.

by Remi Kanazi

"Rachel Corrie's Iowa Family Seeks "Thorough, Credible" Investigation Into Her Death"

By Betsy Mayfield

Hearing about Rachel Corrie, bulldozed to death on March 16, 2003 by an Israeli military conscript, I was horrified and saddened-just as I'd been on hearing about other deaths in Gaza, the West Bank or Israel. Rachel's story kept me awake nights. Some friends of Israel haven't wanted Americans to hear about her death, however. "Just say, 'Every life is equally precious.' That's enough!" they'd tell me.

Although Rachel Corrie was from Olympia, Washington, her aunts and uncles live in Iowa. The Iowa Brodersen family includes three sisters and one brother of Rachel's mother, Rachel's grandmother, plus extended family members. Since Rachel was killed, I have marveled watching them seek answers in what has been, for this farm family, a solemn one-step-at-a-time experience. Explained Cheryl Brodersen, Rachel's aunt, "We're on this quest because we believe that it is in our family's, America's and Israel's interest to seek truth and justice. We believe in focusing on facts rather than innuendo, half-truths or untruths. We seek definition. What is a 'thorough, credible, transparent' investigation? Will the United States government accept anything less?"

Refusing to be silenced, Cheryl and the rest of the Corrie-Brodersen families carry on with inherent trust and politeness, a sense of humor masking their pain. They've assumed the responsibility of demanding the truth. Determined to work through established U.S. government channels-the State Department and Congress-the family proceeds without invective or casting unproven blame. They personify what it means to be responsible and trusting in a free and open society. As Cheryl Brodersen says, "This is what we do."

By Jeff Halper

The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, together with the entire Israeli peace and human rights movement, mourns the death in Gaza of Rachel Corrie and extends its condolences to her family, friends and comrades in the International Solidarity Movement.

Rachel was not the first person killed as a result of Israel's cruel policy of house demolitions. Less than two weeks ago Nuha Makadma Sweidan and her unborn child were also killed in Gaza when Israeli army sappers "accidentally" demolished their home when they blew up another home nearby. A few weeks before that an elderly woman and a disabled man died under the rubble of their Gazan homes when the soldiers "failed to notice" them. These were no mere accidents. Israel routinely demolishes Palestinian houses on top of all the families' possessions, and in their haste do not bother to follow prosaic rules of "safety."