Shireen Abu-Aqleh: another Palestinian victim of Israel’s occupation
May 16, 2022, 2:01 pm

Shireen Abu-Aqleh: another Palestinian victim of Israel’s occupation

Ian Black

Journalists around the world are often killed while covering wars and conflicts, though many less than soldiers, civilians, or those resisting their enemies. Shireen Abu Aqleh became another statistic last Wednesday among the thousands of reporters around the world who have lost their lives while doing their jobs, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria or recently, Ukraine.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, in the three decades between 1990 and 2020, more than 2,650 journalists were killed, including 561 in the Middle East. And at least 46 Palestinian journalists have been killed since 2000, when the second intifada erupted.

Abu Aqleh, aged 51 and an iconic reporter for Al-Jazeera, was struck in the head by a bullet during an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen. For the past six weeks Israeli soldiers have conducted almost nightly raids after 19 Israelis and 30 Palestinians have been killed since March. Her colleague, Ali Samoudi, was shot in the shoulder with live ammunition. Both were wearing “press” flak jackets.

Israeli forces were operating in the Jenin refugee camp and other areas of the West Bank to apprehend "terror suspects," the military said. According to the army, during the raid militants opened fire at the Israeli forces and hurled explosives at them, before the soldiers returned fire.

It is still not clear exactly what happened. But it is obvious that the Israeli government quickly understood that it was facing a public relations disaster when Shireen’s death was condemned by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, Turkey and Qatar. Israel called for a joint investigation with the Palestinian Authority (PA) into the killing, and for the PA to hand over the bullet for forensic analysis to determine exactly who had fired the fatal round.

But the day after she was killed the PA held a memorial service for her at its Ramallah headquarters, where President Mahmoud Abbas called publicly for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate. "Shireen was a voice of truth, a national voice, conveying the suffering of the mothers of martyrs and prisoners, of Jerusalem and of refugee camps," he said, adding: "How can the truth be hidden? We reject cooperation with the Israeli investigation. We do not trust them."

And at Shireen’s funeral in East Jerusalem last Friday, mourners were attacked by Israeli police using stun grenades and batons. Even the bearers of her coffin, draped in a Palestinian flag, lost their balance. The coffin was followed by an orange stretcher bearing a flak jacket marked “press”. Once again the international community was outraged, condemning the Israeli authorities. The Biden administration expressed its harshest public rebuke of Israel to date.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "deeply troubled by the images of Israeli police intruding into the funeral procession of Palestinian-American Shireen Abu Aqleh," adding "every family deserves to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner."

Abu Aqleh’s US citizenship was clearly a factor in this American condemnation. “It’s tempting to write that if innocent Palestinians must be killed by Israeli soldiers, better for them to be well-known and holders of US passports,” commented Gideon Levy, a columnist for the liberal Haaretz newspaper. “At least then the US State Department will voice a little displeasure– but not too much – about the senseless killing of one of its citizens by the soldiers of one of its allies.”

Israel’s police announced that the mourners were “disrupting public order” by throwing stones at the heavy police presence, but on Saturday said an investigation into the officers’ actions would be launched.

The unwieldy government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett now faces an escalating crisis - both international and perhaps domestic too. The government lost its majority last month when one member of Bennett’s own party defected. Ra’am, a Conservative Islamist member of his eight-party coalition, has threatened the same over clashes between Israeli police and Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem.

Another Haaretz correspondent, Nir Hasson, wrote: “There is evidently a problem within the police force. Perhaps ..it lies with command and control issues, or in ..training and recruitment methods. But in reality, it runs much deeper than that. It lies in the fact that police officers do not view the Palestinians they face as human beings, nor do they feel a need to respect them or their pain. This is a terrible truth – and not just for the Palestinians.”

Last May, Israel’s air force bombed the Gaza City media building – home to Palestinian media networks and the Associated Press – claiming (though without offering evidence) that it was being used by the Islamist movement Hamas. And illegal Israeli settlements are currently being expanded in the West Bank.

Israelis must acknowledge that Palestinians are not going to disappear any time soon. And neither are journalists covering one of the world’s oldest and most divisive and toxic conflicts.

BY: IAN BLACK

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.