French Judge Orders Al Durah Tape Released

Muhammad Jamal al-Durrah was supposedly killed by gunfire on September 30, 2000 near the Netzarim junction in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of the second Intifada. At least this is what was reported all around the world because of on video footage provided by a local freelance cameraman, Talal Abu Rahma, who was working alone for France 2. The footage shows al-Durrah and his father seeking cover during a crossfire between an IDF outpost, and between Palestinian police and gunmen, who were shooting from 7 main locations, including the towers behind the Israeli post. The film shows Al-Durrah eventually slumped over, apparently killed by gunfire. The French station provided 55 seconds of the 27 minute tape parts of its footage free of charge to media around the world. And little Jamal became an anti-Israel rallying symbol throughout the world, leading to countless Israel deaths.There was only one problem with the report----it was a hoax. (for the evidence see: The al-Durrah Hoax is Still Alive in France).

“The impact of this alleged killing goes even beyond Israel. It was cited by the murderers of the Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Pearl. Postage stamps bearing al-Durah’s crouched image have been issued in Jordan, Egypt and Tunisia; a street in Baghdad and a square in Morocco bear his name, while many schools across the Arab world are named after him. His image has even been reproduced on a designer dress in Saudi Arabia. Throughout Europe, and particularly in France, Muslims have used al-Durah as a rallying cry in their attacks against Jews, which broke out shortly after the Durah film was broadcast. It is therefore past time for France-2 to reveal all the evidence in its possession so the truth may at last be known. ZOA National President Morton A. Klein

Today Appellate Court Presiding judge, Laurence Trebucq, ordered the full 27 minute tape released for the first time. It will be used as evidence in the appeal of French journalist Philippe Karsenty, the editor of Media-Ratings, www.m-r.fr, whom TV station France-2 sued for defamation for questioning the veracity of its report on the events presented by its Jerusalem Bureau Chief, Charles Enderlin.

It was Enderlin’s report which contained the edited 55 seconds of tape that was distributed free to the international media and seen around the world. The footage was shot by a Palestinian Arab cameraman, Talal Abu Rahmeh, none of which shows al-Durah actually being killed, let alone by Israeli fire. The full footage has been viewed by three journalists -- Jeambar, Leconte, and Rosenzweig -- who have testified that it consists of 24 minutes of staged scenes, with no images of the al-Durah boy and his father and no trace of the boy’s “death throes” that Enderlin claimed to have been filmed but later edited out because it was “unbearable”

According to the ZOA, British Daily Mail columnist and author Melanie Phillips has noted of this latest news that “Since this footage is said to show a total absence of evidence that Mohammed al Durah was killed as well as much evidence that the whole thing was a staged theatrical stunt, thus showing that France 2 connived at a terrible collective libel which was directly responsible for the deaths of countless innocents, this is an electrifying development” ( melaniephillips.com, September 20). Initially, the Israeli government had taken responsibility for the boy’s death, but later presented overwhelming evidence that there was no possibility that an Israeli soldier shot al-Durah. Daniel Seaman, Director of Israel’s Government Press Office, openly calls the alleged ‘murder’ of al-Durah a hoax. France-2 has until now refused to release the full 27 minutes of footage in its possession.

France-2’s lawyer Maitre Benedicte Amblard tried to convince the Judge Trebucq that the request to release the full footage was not appropriate, relevant, necessary or even advisable. But the judge disagreed and wishes to see the footage herself. This is the first time the French court has made such a demand, which would be normal procedure in the U.S. legal system. Maitre Amblard was not able to reach her clients to confirm availability of the footage. The hearings in the appeal have been adjourned and are due to resume on November 14 when the footage is supposed to be examined (Pajamas Media, September 19).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “The ZOA applauds the decision of Judge Trebucq in demanding the long-overdue release of the full 27 minutes of footage surrounding the alleged killing of Muhammad al-Durah. The ZOA has been calling for this to be done for some time so that the public can see the evidence which has been suppressed by France-2 until now. A great deal of contrary evidence and doubt has emerged regarding the original France-2 story, which has served as the inspiration and explicit justification for so many acts of terrorism against Jews, including the barbaric murder and disemboweling of two Israeli soldiers by a Palestinian mob in Ramallah on October 12, 2000; several suicide bombings and the attempted suicide bombing in an Israeli hospital by a Palestinian female terrorist. For the past six years, PA television has continuously aired a film showing al-Durah in heaven, beckoning other Palestinian children to ‘martyr’ themselves by becoming terrorists so that they can join him in paradise.