Scammer
Banned
A former Israeli soldier is expected to testify Thursday in a civil suit filed by the parents of an American peace activist, who was crushed to death in 2003 by a bulldozer as she tried to prevent Israel from bulldozing homes in Gaza.
The soldier -- the one driving the vehicle when Rachel Corrie, 23, was run over -- will testify from behind a screen to protect his identity. The Israeli Supreme Court upheld the decision to shield him.
"We feel deeply disappointed that somehow the state of Israel feels that our being able to see the faces of these people and their body language, that some how that poses a threat to the soldiers," said Rachel's mother, Cindy Corrie.
Corrie's parents want to know the truth about their daughter's death, whether the killing near Rafah was intentional and who is accountable. The case against Israel's defense ministry began in Haifa, Israel, on Wednesday -- a court date that took years to reach.
"The more we found out, the more likely that the killing was intentional, or at least incredibly reckless," father Craig Corrie said. "And, as a former soldier, I was even in charge of bulldozers in Vietnam ... You're responsible to know what's in front of that blade, and I believe that they did."
The Israeli military carried out a month-long investigation, which found no Israeli soldier was to blame.
"The armored bulldozer crew involved in the incident did not see Ms. Corrie, who was standing behind the mound of earth, and was unable to see her or hear her voice," the military said.
Corrie's parents are proud of what their daughter did, recalling how important it was to her to help Palestinian families in Gaza.
The Corries say they cannot take the bulldozer driver to court, because the Israeli military has refused to identify him for the past seven years. But Craig Corrie doesn't necessarily want to see the driver sent to jail.
"We don't think about the soldiers being the victims, but they are, and we ask a lot of these people. So I'm not full of hatred for this person, but it was a horrendous act to kill my daughter, and I hope he understands that."