Arab rioters
Arab riotersFlash 90

"Criminal charges should be filed, and Charles Enderlin should never be allowed to practice journalism in Israel again,” asserted Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center, in response to a report released Sunday by the Israeli government, which found France 2's claims that IDF troops killed Mohammed al-Dura in 2000 as baseless.

“The fact the al-Dura story has turned out to be a hoax should cause us to take action against those who invented and spread this staged fable. Israel's Government Press Office should also revoke France 2's credentials," she said.

The committee's findings stressed that there were countless signs the boy was never even shot. The report also noted the lack of blood stains at the scene. Enderlin's television report, airing on Sept 30, 2000, claimed the boy came under fire from Israeli snipers, even though Enderlin was not at the scene and unaired raw footage would later show the boy still alive.

"In 2007 we argued at the High Court in Jerusalem that France 2's credentials be canceled, but the press office said they lacked authority to do so,” said Darshan-Leitner. “Now that the government has determined we were right, it's time France 2's bureau chief be prosecuted. Enderlin's report became a symbol of the second Intifada and a modern-day blood libel directly resulting in hundreds of Jewish and Arab deaths, only for the purpose of raising France 2's ratings."

"The French network ignited a still-burning torch of hatred against Israel, with images of al-Dura still being presented in anti-Israel protests in Iran, the Arab world and in Western Europe. Those who are responsible must bear the consequences of their actions in order to avoid the repetition of incidents like this and, moreover, to stop this blood libel once and for all," she added.

The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center is an Israel-based organization dedicated to enforcing basic human rights through the legal system and represents victims of terrorism in courtrooms around the world. Its clients include American, European, and Israeli citizens. It is unaffiliated with any political party or governmental body.