Israel is planning to pay a foreign activist NIS 600,000 as compensation for wounds he says were caused by IDF soldiers, according to the Jerusalem Post. The activist, United States citizen Brian Avery, was shot in the face and suffered serious wounds.
The payment will be made as part of an out-of-court settlement. The state has not claimed responsibility for Avery's injuries.
Avery, a United States citizen, came to Israel in 2003 with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group dedicated to supporting Palestinian Authority Arabs in their fight against Israel. On April 5, Avery and a fellow ISM volunteer left their apartment in Jenin, despite the fact that a curfew was in effect in the city while the IDF searched for terrorists.
Avery said he and his roommate went out into the streets because they heard gunfire and thought there may be casualties in need of assistance. As the two walked, they were approached by an IDF vehicle. Soldiers in the vehicle opened fire, Avery charged, hitting him in the face. The bullet caused serious facial injuries that left Avery permanently disfigured despite several surgeries.
IDF soldiers denied Avery's allegations, and said there was no record of any incident such as the one he described. Avery's injuries were caused by someone other than an IDF soldier, they said.
In 2007, Avery returned to Israel in order to file a lawsuit against the state. With the help of attorney Shlomo Lecker, Avery sought to force the IDF to investigate his allegations. In addition, he demanded damages for his injuries. He brought fellow ISM volunteers as witnesses in his case.
The IDF agreed to conduct an investigation into Avery's charges. The investigation is ongoing.
Lecker said his client would use the money to defray his medical expenses. Avery agreed to the deal after despairing of "an appropriate decision,” he said.