Whose life matters more to the U.S.?

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Turkish-American Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot and killed during a protest against the expansion of Zionist settlements. The 26-year-old was a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group that included Rachel Corrie, the American activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in Gaza in 2003.

The White House National Security Council spokesperson, Sean Savett, expressed deep concern over Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi's "tragic death," stating that they had contacted the Israeli government to demand more information and initiate an investigation. Similarly, the U.S. State Department’s statement from Matt Miller echoed this sentiment.

Both statements referred to Eygi’s “tragic death” but failed to mention that she was killed by Israeli soldiers, leaving ordinary Americans to seek out the full details themselves. When President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak about "tragic Palestinian deaths," they also avoid addressing who is responsible. This language reflects a long-standing trend in U.S. and Western media, which hesitates to acknowledge the role of Israeli forces in such incidents.

Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi is not the first American killed by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories. Rachel Corrie, 14-year-old Urwa Hammad, 16-year-old Mahmoud Shalan, and journalist Shireen Abu Akleh were also killed, but their cases remain unresolved due to Israel’s refusal to cooperate with U.S. judicial authorities. The U.S. government, in turn, has allowed these cases to fade away, enabling Israel to avoid accountability.

Recently, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American hostage, was found dead in Gaza. Vice President Kamala Harris, like Biden, emphasized that ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens abroad is a top priority. U.S. officials, including senators, echoed Israel's claim that Goldberg-Polin was executed by Hamas, with Senator Lindsey Graham calling for retribution and Senator Tom Cotton urging the Biden administration to "finish the job" in Gaza.

In contrast, the deaths of Americans at the hands of Israel remain shrouded in ambiguity. Taylor Force, an American killed by a Palestinian in Tel Aviv in 2016, prompted Congress to pass the Taylor Force Act, which limited financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. The act was signed into law by President Donald Trump, who also cut funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees.

Since October 7, the U.S. has provided Israel with over 50,000 tons of weapons, despite Israel’s killing of more than 40,000 Palestinians, including nearly 17,000 children. The lack of accountability for Israel’s actions, even when American citizens are involved, highlights a double standard.