'It has been 100 days since Aysenur was killed, and there has been absolutely zero accountability -- that is completely unacceptable,' says Rep. Pramila Jayapal
The family of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi and US lawmakers gathered Tuesday outside the US Capitol to demand justice and accountability for the killing of the Turkish American activist.
The family and lawmakers, including Reps. Delia Ramirez, Pramila Jayapal and Rashida Tlaib, demanded an independent US-led investigation into her killing on Sept. 6 and criticized inaction by the Biden administration.
"Today, we stand to honor the brave memory of an American woman who also recognized our shared pain, our safety, our joy, and our humanity," said Ramirez, who represents Illinois's 3rd congressional district, "Ayşenur was an advocate, a sister, an aunt, a wife,” she said. “She went to the West Bank as a peaceful observer, and despite knowing the dangers, she went to protect Palestinians from the violence of Israel's military occupation and the illegal Israeli settlements."
Ramirez referenced remarks by US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, before describing Aysenur's killing as “unprovoked” and “unjustified.” She added, “We are here because her family and our communities still have not received answers.”
Jayapal from the state of Washington's 7th District, including Seattle, where Eygi moved to as an infant, was raised, educated and married, echoed the frustrations of Aysenur's loved ones, drawing parallels between her killing and that of other US nationals in Gaza and the West Bank, including Rachel Corrie, who was killed in 2003.
"It has been 100 days since Aysenur was killed, and there has been absolutely zero accountability -- that is completely unacceptable," said Jayapal.
Noting letters signed by 100 US lawmakers that urged the Biden administration to order and independent US-led investigation, Jayapal said: "This is not a single incident. It is a pattern of continuous killings of US citizens in Gaza and the West Bank."
Jayapal said the US response and continued flow of US aid to Israel is a violation of American laws and international humanitarian standards.
“Nothing I have heard from the State Department that gives me any assurance at all that the killing of a United States citizen by the IDF (Israeli military) is being treated with the urgency it deserves,” she said.
Aysenur's sister, Ozden Bennett, talked about the emotional toll the loss has taken on their family.
“Sometimes I stay up late after I've tucked my kids in for the night, wishing she hadn't gone,” said Bennett. “Aysenur was 26. She had just graduated, full of life, ready to embrace the future, but that future was taken from her… So, we will continue to ask, as we have from day one, for President (Joe) Biden, Vice President (Kamala) Harris, Secretary of State Blinken and the Department of Justice to conduct its own independent criminal investigation into my sister's killing.”
Aysenur's husband, Hamid Ali, addressed Biden's assurances that harm to an American citizen would prompt a response.
“President Biden said: ‘If you harm an American, we will respond,' and we are here today to simply ask, where is the response for Aysenur?” said Ali. “Awaiting details of an Israeli investigation with no foreseeable deadline for the past 100 days is not a response. Continuously framing this unjust killing as an ‘unfortunate accident' to our grieving family is not a response.”
Tlaib expressed outrage at the lack of an official US investigation into Aysenur's killing.
“When Americans are killed abroad, it is standard procedure for our government to open an investigation, but when the murderers wear an Israeli uniform, there's complete silence and inaction,” she said.
Eygi was killed by Israeli forces during a peaceful protest against illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The US urged Israel to conduct a "swift, thorough, and transparent investigation" into the killing three months ago, but no accountability has been achieved to date.
A preliminary investigation by Israel found that Eygi was "highly likely" hit "indirectly and unintentionally" by Israeli fire that was targeting a "main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks" during the protest.
Video evidence and witness accounts, however, have contradicted Israel's version of events, with many saying she was directly hit by an Israeli sniper.
A report by The Washington Post also revealed that Eygi was shot more than 30 minutes after the peak of confrontations in Beita and about 20 minutes after protesters had moved over 200 yards down the main road, away from Israeli forces.
