Corrie, Rachel (1979–2003)

Rachel Corrie was an American activist who dedicated her life to the pursuit of global peace and justice through nonviolent resistance. She was born on April 10, 1979, to Cindy and Craig Corrie. Rachel attended Evergreen State College in Washington State, where she was active with the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace.

Rachel traveled to Palestine on January 18, 2003, to join the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in nonviolent direct action against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. She wrote home from Palestine that nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the situation there. After 2 days of ISM training, Rachel participated in a demonstration against the impending war on Iraq and protected local water wells that were under attack by Israeli forces.

Two days before her death, Rachel was interviewed by the Middle East Broadcasting network and said that she felt like she was witnessing the systematic destruction of a people's ability to survive. Corrie was 23 years old when she was killed by the driver of an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Caterpillar D9 bulldozer [Page 396](serial number 949623). On March 16, 2003, Rachel and six other ISM activists tried to prevent the destruction of a Palestinian pharmacist's family home in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip. Rachel was dressed in a bright orange vest with reflective striping as she tried to prevent the home demolition by placing her body in the path of the IDF bulldozer.

Two British citizens were shot in Rafah in the 2 months that followed. Fellow ISM activist, 22-year-old Tom Hurndall, was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper on April 11 as he escorted Palestinian children to safety. He died 9 months later. Award-winning cameraman James Miller was shot in the neck and killed by the IDF on May 2. In this same time period (March–May 2003), 222 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces.

The families of the three international victims have sought investigations into their deaths. The Israeli government released a report denying responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, referring to it as a regrettable accident. On March 25, 2003, Congressman Brian Baird introduced Resolution 111, calling for the U.S. government to investigate Rachel's death. Lawsuits have been filed against the IDF and Israeli Defense Ministry, as well as Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar's equipment continues to be used to uproot olive trees and illegally demolish Palestinian homes.

Numerous initiatives have been launched to honor Rachel Corrie and continue her work. Such initiatives include rebuilding the home that she was protecting in Rafah, the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project, and the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice. Rachel's memory is honored in Palestine through the Rachel Corrie Center for Women Empowerment and the Rachel Corrie Children and Youth Cultural Center. Palestinian babies have been named Rachel, and street names carry her name.

Artworks in response to Corrie's death appeared as well, including Suheir Hammad's poem, “On the Brink of …”; David Rovics's song, “The Death of Rachel Corrie”;and the Alan Rickman–directed play, “My Name Is Rachel Corrie”in London. The play made its U.S. debut in October 2006 at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York City. Rachel Corrie left a lasting impression on the work of nonviolence activists worldwide.

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