Dear President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and Attorney General Garland:
On September 6, we learned about the fatal shooting in the West Bank of American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Seattle resident and recent graduate of the University of Washington. We extend our deepest condolences to Ms. Eygi’s family during this moment of tragedy, and our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.
We are deeply disturbed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) preliminary investigation that found “it is highly likely” Ms. Eygi “was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her” during a “violent riot.” This contradicts credible, independent eyewitness accounts that suggest the shooting was intentional without provocation. A Washington Post investigation based on interviews with eyewitnesses and West Bank residents, photos, and videos indicates the shooting occurred “more than a half-hour after the height of confrontations in Beita, and some 20 minutes after protesters had moved down the main road — more than 200 yards away from Israeli forces.”
Given the evidence, we believe the United States must independently investigate whether this was a homicide. To walk away without asking further questions gives Israeli forces an unacceptable license to act with impunity. There must be accountability for Ms. Eygi’s death. We therefore call on the White House, State Department, and Department of Justice to lead an independent, thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the killing of Ms. Eygi. This investigation should include all evidence found and rationale for how findings were determined in a written report to the family.
We request a written explanation provided to the family and the undersigned members to the following questions no later than October 4, 2024:
- What does the U.S. government currently know about the circumstances surrounding Ms. Eygi’s killing?
- Will the U.S. government conduct an independent, thorough, credible, and transparent investigation into the killing of Ms. Eygi?
- What would be the proposed timeline and plan for such an investigation?
- How will the U.S. government seek accountability if the Israeli government refuses to cooperate with such an investigation?
We appreciate your attention to these matters and look forward to your prompt response.