Aysenur Eygi's friends reject Israeli explanation of her killing and demand justice

President Biden responded to Israel’s claim that the killing of an American in the West Bank was unintentional by saying the death of Aysenur Eygi is “totally unacceptable.” Eygi’s family said those statements weren’t enough, and accused Biden of “complicity” in Israeli occupation and “whitewashing” the killing. Nick Schifrin spoke with two of Eygi’s friends, Juliette Majid and Kelsie Nabass.

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But, today, Eygi’s family said those statements weren’t enough and accused President Biden of — quote — “complicity” in Israeli occupation and whitewashing the killing of an American.

For more, I’m joined by Juliette Majid and Kelsie Nabass, friends of Aysenur Eygi.

Thank you very much to both of you. Welcome to the “News Hour.”

Kelsie Nabass, let me start with you.

Can you tell me about your friend?

Kelsie Nabass, Friend of Aysenur Eygi: Yes, so I met Aysenur a couple years ago on a trip to Istanbul in Turkey. She was such a breath of fresh air and such a light in any room that she walked into. I knew that immediately I was going to be friends with her when I was introduced to her just because of how silly and fun and goofy she was.

And I know that, after a few conversations, we really hit it off and became super close friends.

Nick Schifrin: Juliette Majid, what do you remember?

Juliette Majid, Friend of Aysenur Eygi: Yes, so I met Aysenur Eygi at the University of Washington. We both graduated this past June, she with a bachelor’s in psychology and a minor in Middle Eastern cultures and languages.

She was an incredibly hard worker. She was a very staunch activist. She was a community and a campus organizer spanning many different solidarity movements and programs across the Seattle area. It’s a profound loss that we are feeling in our community here in Seattle.

And also it’s a profound loss for the American public in general to lose such a staunch American human rights activist.

Nick Schifrin: Kelsie Nabass, why did she travel to the occupied West Bank?

Kelsie Nabass: As you just heard, Juliette said she was a staunch activist, and she knew that anything that she could have possibly done here on the ground between the U.W. encampment camp met and going to protests and advocating for the liberation of the Palestinian people, she knew that going and being on the ground and observing the suffering and observing and witnessing what the Palestinian people were facing would be good for her self-conscience and also just because she felt comfortable going and being a part of that community.

Nick Schifrin: Juliette Majid, you were talking to her until the end. What did you understand and what do you understand today about what happened?

Juliette Majid: I talked to Aysenur on Monday before she arrived in the West Bank. And I just know that she was so honored to be able to be in the West Bank in a land where she understood the complex and horrible conditions that the Palestinians in the West Bank face at the hands of the Israeli military and illegal Israeli settlements.

And she was so honored to be able to experience and then come back and share these stories and help create a stronger movement here in the United States.

Nick Schifrin: Kelsie Nabass, as you know, the Israeli military says that it is not defending illegal settlements and is in fact trying to crack down on what they call illegal outposts.

And as you have seen, the Israeli military has said that she was not the target of this bullet, that the — what they called “the instigator” of the riot was the actual target and it was a ricochet. What’s your response to that Israeli military statement?

Kelsie Nabass: I think what’s important here today is that anyone should have the right to peacefully protest and peacefully observe a demonstration from an illegal settlement.

I don’t think that there was any right to have any live ammunition at that type of — at that type of place. As we know, they were peacefully having their Friday prayer and peacefully demonstrating against the occupation of farmland in the region.

And now they’re saying that it was an accident, which is completely deplorable for my best friend.

Nick Schifrin: Juliette Majid, what is your message? What is the family’s message as well to the Biden administration today?

Juliette Majid: Yes, so I — for me personally, I think that the Biden administration’s statement today was incredibly shameful.

To release comment about and support the evidence that the Israeli military gave without conducting an independent U.S. investigation into the killing of an American citizen is very shameful. And I don’t accept that. I don’t accept that we will accept the Israeli military’s evidence or proof.

What I want to see, what the family wants to see is this independent us investigation. Aysenur was an American citizen. She was an incredible person and she deserves justice. Her family deserves justice. And they won’t — they won’t get that without an investigation and without the evidence that they are requiring.

Nick Schifrin: Kelsie Nabass, Juliette Majid, thank you very much to you both.

Juliette Majid: Thank you.

Kelsie Nabass: Thank you.