Katie Halper says Israel ‘lied’ about shooting of Palestine reporter

Political talk show host Katie Halper said Israel was likely behind the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Palestine, arguing it was suspicious that the Israeli government “immediately lied” about the shooting.

Halper told Hill.TV on Thursday that a video she said the Israeli government had released to clear themselves of the shooting was quickly debunked by human rights activists.

“The fact that they would so blatantly provide video that had nothing to do with the shooting reveals just exactly how dishonest they are and how they are so used to getting away with things,” Halper said.

Abu Akleh, a well-known reporter for Al Jazeera in the Middle East, was shot on Wednesday while covering an Israeli military raid in Jenin, a city administered by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Israel has denied that its troops shot the reporter and ordered an investigation into the incident. The Palestinian Authority rejected Israel’s request for a joint investigation.

The U.S. government has called for an investigation into who was behind the attack. The State Department condemned the death of Abu Akleh, saying it was “an affront to media freedom everywhere.”

Halper claimed the shooting of Abu Akleh was coordinated and not an “accidental shooting of a press member,” saying the reporter was wearing a helmet.

“The reason probably there will be slightly more accountability than there would otherwise be, is that she was an American citizen,” Halper said. “I’m sure if she were just a Palestinian she wouldn’t receive as much attention, and there wouldn’t be this scrutiny.”

Still, Halper expressed doubts of a fully transparent investigation into Abu Akleh’s death.