About Aysenur
We demand justice!
By: Medea Benjamin and Ruba Kharuf
We have been in Congress this week urging members to call for an independent investigation into the tragic killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a U.S. citizen who was shot dead by an Israeli sniper while peacefully protesting in the West Bank. Her murder is a stark reminder that even American citizens are not safe under this brutal occupation.
Just two weeks ago, Ruba was in the same village, in the same spot where Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was murdered. “Just weeks ago, I was standing beneath the olive trees with Palestinians, witnessing their struggle to survive in their own land. I found myself staring down the barrels of Israeli army guns, dodging tear gas canisters, facing settlers armed who carried metal pipes. All while drones hovered above, watching our every move. We were interrogated, harassed, and threatened—by soldiers, by settlers, at checkpoints, in fields, even on private property. And through it all, the US government, my government, the one that should protect me, provided the weapons and funds that made this possible.”
Aysenur’s murder is not an isolated incident. It is part of a broader system of violence supported by US tax dollars. While the Israeli government kills Palestinians with impunity, the same is true when they kill US citizens. To this day, there has been no independent investigation into the death of US citizens at the hands of the Israeli military, and the Israeli “investigations” have been worthless. This time MUST be different.
Aysenur was an American citizen. She was unarmed. She was peacefully protesting. And she was shot dead. She, like so many others, paid the ultimate price for standing in the way of a military machine fueled by US tax dollars. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently called for “fundamental changes” in the way Israel operates in the West Bank, including revising their rules of engagement. Yet, these words come from an administration that promises “nothing will fundamentally change” when it comes to U.S. relations with Israel. So far, this administration has not called for an independent investigation into Aysenur’s murder, has not sanctioned Israel, and has not even considered an arms embargo.
How many more lives—both American and Palestinian—will be taken before Congress steps in? How many more Palestinian homes will be destroyed, children arrested, and peaceful protesters murdered before we see our government take action?
We demand justice for Aysenur Ezgi Eygi. We demand protection for Americans abroad and an end to US complicity in the violence that destroys Palestinian lives every single day. The US must stop aiding and abetting this illegal occupation and genocide. It’s time for action, not words. It’s time for Congress to stand up for justice—for Aysenur, for Palestine, and for all of us.
We must demand that Congress lead the call for an Independent Investigation into Aysenur’s murder!
Medea Benjamin is an author and the cofounder of the peace group CODEPINK. You can find her on social media @medeabenjamin.
Ruba Kharuf is a Palestinian American, with a twenty year career in film production. For the last 10 months she’s been dedicated full time to the pursuit of an end to the occupation and genocide of Palestine, recently returning from one month in the West Bank on a protective presence mission.