Vigil held outside White House honors Turkish-American activist killed in West Bank

A vigil was held Monday evening at Lafayette Square outside the White House to honor Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American activist killed by Israeli forces on Sept. 6 during a peaceful protest in the occupied West Bank.

Eygi’s family—including her father Mehmet Suat Eygi, sister Ozden Bennett, and husband Hamid Ali—joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and other attendees in calling for accountability and justice more than three months after her death.

Addressing the gathering, Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, sharply criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of the incident, particularly his reliance on an ongoing Israeli investigation.

“We know that President Biden recently said, ‘If you harm an American, we will respond.’ But his inaction has made it clear once again that when it comes to the Israeli government murdering Americans, it’s a complete lie,” Tlaib said.

Tlaib also condemned Biden’s earlier statement calling Eygi’s death a “tragic error.”

“We all know that Aysenur’s murder was not a ‘tragic error,’” Tlaib said. “It was devastating for her family to hear them say that … what the Israeli military did to her, they do to the Palestinians every single day.”

Tlaib demanded an independent investigation, listing Eygi’s case alongside other prominent instances of Americans killed in the region, including activist Rachel Corrie, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and Palestinian-American Omar Assad.

Hamid Ali, Eygi’s husband, expressed frustration with the U.S. government’s response, pointing to a pattern of impunity in similar cases.

“Where is the justice, and what exactly is taking so damn long?” Ali asked. “If the U.S. had held Israel accountable for the killings of other Americans like Rachel Corrie or Shireen Abu Akleh, perhaps Israeli soldiers wouldn’t feel so emboldened to kill Americans and other civilians today.”

Ozden Bennett, Eygi’s sister, described her as a “global citizen” and “an example of the best of what it means to be an American and human.”

“She was just 26 years old. She had just graduated college, excited to explore the next chapter of her life,” Bennett said. “But Aysenur, unfortunately, didn’t get that opportunity. It was stripped from her the moment the still unidentified soldier targeted, shot, and killed her.”

Eygi was fatally shot near Nablus in the occupied West Bank during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements. Israeli authorities said in a preliminary report that she was “highly likely” hit “indirectly and unintentionally” as forces targeted a protester hurling rocks.

Video evidence and witness accounts have challenged this version, with claims that Eygi was deliberately shot by an Israeli sniper well after the confrontations had subsided. Reporting by The Washington Post revealed she was hit more than 30 minutes after clashes ended and protesters had retreated several hundred yards.

Eygi’s body was repatriated to Türkiye, where she was laid to rest in Didim. Turkish prosecutors launched an investigation into her killing on Sept. 11.

At the vigil, family members and advocates said justice for Eygi would represent a step toward accountability for victims of what they described as repeated and unchecked violence by Israeli forces.

“Aysenur died fighting for others, as did many before her,” Bennett said. “Justice for Aysenur would be one step closer to justice for other victims of senseless violence.”