The funeral of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh May 13 turned into a violent confrontation between Israeli security forces and the mourners who came to accompany her coffin on its final journey, from the French Hospital in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Images of Israeli police clashing with the participants in the funeral procession reached almost every home globally. No one in Israel and the rest of the world could remain indifferent to the sight of the coffin almost falling.

With that, Israel was subjected to harsh criticism and condemnations for the actions of its police during the procession. It was described on Israeli social media feeds as a devastating blow to Israel’s public opinion campaign and a serious setback to its image. People wondered what possible excuse the police could have for acting the way they did. To make matters worse, all of this was happening before Israel even had a chance to repair its image after the shooting of a journalist, by thoroughly investigating the incident. With the harsh footage still making its way around the world, it now seems as if Israel will not be able to repair its image at all.

As a journalist for Al Jazeera, Abu Akleh achieved prominence in the Arab world — and among Israeli Arabs in particular — in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was before the rise of social networks, when Al Jazeera was a major news force in Arab society. Abu Akleh became an iconic figure among Israel’s Arab society. When she died, people felt as if they were saying goodbye to someone who was there alongside with them for decades. The violent way in which she was killed caused people to identify even more with her and her family.

This is evident from a statement released by the Islamist Ra’am party May 11, the day of Abu Akleh’s death. It was postponing its press conference, scheduled for that morning in the town of Kafr Qasim. The party was originally expected to announce its decision about whether it would remain in the coalition. The decision to move the press conference — and to focus on the killing of Abu Akleh — to the Knesset that afternoon pointed to the stature Abu Akleh had as a journalist among Arabs of all backgrounds.