Saturday, December 15, 2007
Last Tuesday, the Harvard Alliance for Israel and the Harvard Students for Israel sponsored a talk by Al-Dura trial defendant Philippe Karsenty. Karsenty discussed his trial as well as the issue of the Muhammed Al Dura saga generally. I was there and filmed the entire presentation, which I present to you below, including the opening remarks by Joel Pollak and Q&A. The sound could be better, but I think it's listenable. I actually have a much better version of the audio I got by putting a recorder on the podium, but I'm having a devil of a time getting it to synch with the video, so at this point I'm afraid you may just have to turn the volume up. I've posted the mp3 for download for those who would like that, though there is a frequent use of video in the presentation.
In other news, Nidra Poller has an article at Pajamas Media today regarding the bombshell disclosure that Jamal Al Dura (the father) actually had his scars (scars he's shown off to journalists the world over) years earlier (Karsenty discusses this in his presentation and shows pictures of Jamal's arm): Wounds of Mohamed al Dura's Father Date Back to 1992, Surgeon Reveals
Philippe Karsenty, who is appealing his 2006 defamation conviction—for declaring on his Media-Ratings site that the al Dura news report was a blatant fake—obtained medical records proving that Jamal’s wounds were treated by an Israeli surgeon in 1994. Now the surgeon, Yehuda David, has confirmed this information on a December 12 newscast on Israel’s Arutz 10 TV. Jean Tsadik of Metula News Agency resumed the Hebrew-language newscast for French-speaking readers.
According to the Metula release, Jamal al Dura declared on medical records in 1992 that Palestinian militia had attacked him with axes. Doctors at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital were able to save his life but he lost the use of his right hand because they could not repair a ruptured tendon in the forearm. Palestinian doctors referred Jamal to Tal Hashomer hospital in Tel Aviv in March 1994. Dr. Yehuda performed reconstructive surgery, grafting a tendon taken from the foot, and restoring almost normal use of the hand. The medical record of that operation also refers to the removal of "foreign bodies," suggesting that other instruments besides axes were used in the 1992 attack.
Alerted by the Ména [Metula News Agency] to the film of Jamal’s wounds produced in 2004 by Talal Abu Rahma at the demand of France 2 news director Arlette Chabot, to silence investigators, Dr. Yehuda and his colleagues declare that the scars shown in that film were incurred in 1992 and result from axe blade wounds and definitely not from gunshot. They are ready and willing to testify to this in any court.
The Metula release promises further revelations in the near future...
...Now we learn that Jamal used the arm restored by Israeli surgeons to act out the blood libel that provoked the murderous rage that killed countless Israeli civilians, including courageous doctors who had treated Palestinians with the same generosity he experienced...
