“45 Minutes the Boy, Period…”

Interviewed by Esther Schapira a year after the Al Durah incident Talal Abu Rahma, France2’s Palestinian photojournalist, recalls how the Israelis allegedly targeted Mohammed exclusively for 45 minutes as the Al-Durahs huddled by the wall at Netzarim Junction on September 30, 2000.

  • Problem 1: Internal inconsistency – In other testimony during the same interview Abu Rachma insisted that the Israelis targeted the Al Durahs for 28 minutes, not 45.
  • Problem 2: External inconsistency – The Israeli post was 80 meters from the Al Durahs. How likely is it that Israeli sharpshooters firing high velocity weapons at overlapping stationary targets from a distance of 80 meters would require 45 minutes of constant firing to kill one person and not even manage to mortally wound the second? Ask any soldier with battle experience how long it would take to hit a stationary target at 80 meters. It takes seconds.
  • Problem 3. External inconsistency – How likely is it that Israeli sharpshooters would focus consistently for 45 minutes on a target located 30 degrees away from the Palestinian position from which fire was emanating toward the Israeli post?