An Israeli police investigation into the handling of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral in Jerusalem concluded that the event amounted to police misconduct, though no overseeing commanders will be punished
Israel’s Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai reiterated on Thursday that police actions at Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral, during which forces assaulted pallbearers, nearly causing them to drop the coffin, “were wrong.”
“The bottom line is that the conduct of police officers there was wrong, but not every investigation has to end with heads rolling,” Shabtai said at a lawyers’ conference in Tel Aviv.
According to Shabtai, “When you see police officers employing batons, that’s not a picture I want to see.” He added that the forces could have prevented the violent incidents, and that lessons were drawn from the event.
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According to sources, Abu Akleh’s coffin was initially slated to be carried from the hospital by vehicle through the procession, in agreement with police, but instead, it was carried by pallbearers on foot without permission from the police. The driver who was meant to lead the Palestinian icon’s coffin apparently asked police for help as a result.
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