New York Mysteries March 3, 2023

Dear Mary Jo,

Twenty years ago on March 16th, human rights activist Rachel Corrie was killed by an Israeli soldier driving a bulldozer.  Rachel was protesting the demolition of the home of a Palestinian family in Gaza.  She was 23 years old.

According to the reports of multiple eyewitnesses and photographic documentation, she was intentionally killed.

In the years since, Palestinian home demolitions by Israel have increased severalfold.  Unfortunately, Rachel’s message remains as relevant as it was then, if not more.

For 2022, B’tselem reported that Israel demolished a total of 801 Palestinian homes, surpassing 2021 and amounting to one of the highest annual figures on record.  An overwhelming number of Palestinian construction permit applications are rejected by Israel, with more than 98% turned down between 2016 and 2018.  

We urge you to help keep Rachel’s message alive by sharing her story with your community.  

Cards, a booklet of Rachel’s letters she wrote while in Gaza, and posters are all available on our website to order or download. (For orders, click on the links above and then use the buttons – you can use your credit card or a PayPal account.)

We would also suggest that you to write a letter about Rachel to the editor of your local newspaper.  See here for an example.

As always, thank you for your efforts on behalf of peace and justice for Palestine.  

The If Americans Knew Team