A jogger killed by Palestinian militants in a drive-by shooting was an Arab college student mistaken by the assailants for a Jew, the victim's father and militants said Saturday. George Khoury, 21, was shot dead Friday evening in a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem that borders the West Bank. The Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, an armed group linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the shooting. It apologized for the slaying on Saturday after the victim was identified as an Arab.
| Despite the apology, George is still doorknocker dead. |
The militant group told the family that it considers the young man a Palestinian martyr, a title given to those killed in the conflict with Israel, including suicide bombers, said Zacariyya Zubeidi, head of an Al Aqsa cell in the West Bank town of Jenin and one of Israel's most-wanted militants. "The family remained angry, and it's their right to be angry, but we consider him one of the many martyrs that fall every day," Zubeidi told The Associated Press. "This is a war between us and Israel, and it is natural for there to be accidental victims."
| "Wudn't our fault he looked like a Jooooo!" |
Khoury was one of dozens of Arabs among the more than 940 people killed on the Israeli side since Israeli-Palestinian fighting broke out in September 2000. Most of the Arabs were killed in suicide bombings in buses, malls and restaurants, while some were victims of mistaken identity. In the same period, more than 2,700 people were killed on the Palestinian side. Khoury's father, Elias, said Saturday that he hoped his son was the last victim. "This has to stop," he told Israel Radio. "I wished the victims of the recent days could be the last ones, and bring the leaders on both sides to reason."
| Won't happen. It's much easier to bump people off than it is to actually think up positions and negotiate on them... |
George Khoury was a second year student of economics and international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In high school, he participated in several international gatherings on religious tolerance, his father said. The victim's grandfather, Daoud, was killed in a 1975 bombing attack by Palestinian militants in downtown Jerusalem, Elias Khoury said.
| Wonder if George was pulling away from the family tradition, or just putting it on hold? |
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