Who killed Israeli-Canadian activist Vivian Silver?

Israeli-Canadian peace activist Vivian Silver, 74, has been confirmed dead. But how she died and who was responsible remain in question.

Silver was previously thought to have been kidnapped and taken by Hamas, following the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Kibbutz Be'eri in Israel. But Silver’s son, Yonatan Zeigen, shared with the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) this week that remains found on the kibbutz were determined to be hers.

According to Zeigen, Silver’s “house had been burned to the ground” and “a body hadn't been found at that time”. The CBC reported that this was partly why Silver’s family believed that she had been kidnapped.

Until recently, many mainstream Western media outlets reported similarly. Several of their reports are listed in a tribute article about Silver on Women Wage Peace. They’re a group that Silver helped establish that is dedicated to ending conflict between Palestine and Israel.

However, there is mounting public evidence that Israel may have been responsible for Silver’s death. Several news sites, including Mondoweiss and The Electronic Intifada, as well as TRT World, have reported that Israeli forces bombed homes in Kibbutz Be'eri. The reports raise questions as to whether these forces pursued the “Hannibal Directive.”

Typically, this military doctrine involves Israeli forces opening fire on a target even if it’s known that they would also be killing their own soldiers in the process. In recent weeks, the theory is that the policy was broadened to apply to Israeli citizens during the Hamas attacks to avoid having to negotiate more hostages with the Palestinian group.

Several testimonies have confirmed they may have very well done just this.

Among the testimonies is that of Yasmin Porat, shared on Israeli radio, of what was happening on the kibbutz when Israeli forces were exchanging fire with Hamas.

Porat was one of Hamas’ hostages on the kibbutz.

“They [Israeli forces] eliminated everyone, including the hostages,” she said.

“After insane crossfire, two tank shells were shot into the house. … And at that moment everyone was killed. There was quiet, except for one survivor that came out of the garden”.

This is confirmed by a testimony of Tuval Escapa, a security worker at the kibbutz.

In an article that originally appeared in the Hebrew edition of Haaretz, he disclosed that Israeli forces engaged in “shelling [of] houses on their occupants in order to eliminate the terrorists along with the hostages”.

However, such testimonies are not enough to prove that Silver’s home was an Israeli target, ultimately leading to her death.

Determining what happened would require a thorough investigation, conducted by a responsible party other than Israel. The state has a record, as seen in the attempted cover-up of its role in the assassination of beloved Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, of making up “facts”.

Such an investigation would not ignore any role Hamas possibly played in Silver’s death or the broader violence it engaged in on Oct. 7.

That being said, Hamas – at the kibbutz – did not have heavy artillery, such as tank missiles, to thoroughly burn and destroy homes on the kibbutz, including but not limited to Silver’s.

It thus stands to reason that the resistance group would not be inclined to brag about using such artillery. This is in contrast to a chilling conversation between two Israeli soldiers, documented at the kibbutz.

“The structure where the great battle of Be’eri took place is completely burned out,” recount Gideon Levy and Alex Levac in Haaretz, as a prelude to the conversation. “The adjacent dining room has become the resting room for hundreds of soldiers gathered here for the great entrance – if there is one.

“‘Remember how after we shot at al-Arroub, we did a barbecue?’ one soldier tells another, referring to a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank. ‘That’s what we’ll do here also.’”

Justice for Silver requires that both Hamas and Israel be investigated for their possible involvement in her death. At the moment, much of mainstream Western media is irresponsibly suggesting, by casually associating Hamas aggression with Silver’s death in the many articles they have already produced on the matter, that the Palestinian group is solely responsible for it.

That not only misleads the public but also conveys a deeply troubling racist subtext: Palestinians and not Israelis, perhaps because of an inherent “goodness” only possessed by the latter, must have caused her death.

It also lets Israel off the hook when it comes to accountability, which Silver surely would not have wanted. A true humanitarian, she dedicated herself to ensuring both Palestinians and Israelis alike could enjoy lives of dignity together.

Not at the expense of the other.