Questions surround Israel’s investigation into American citizen killed in West Bank

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib responded to State Department’s equivocation about the death of Aysenur Eygi with strong words: ‘Israel can kill Americans and get away with it’

A family photograph of Aysenur Eygi

Reporters pressed a State Department spokesman for information about Israel’s investigation into the killing of an American woman whose family says she was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper on Monday — but received no details from the Biden administration.

Instead, Vedant Patel was unable to offer evidence for why Aysenur Eygi’s family should be confident in the pace or veracity of an Israeli-led investigation as journalists found no answers to questions about when an investigation would be completed, whether eyewitnesses would be interviewed, or whether the US would take any action to ensure that the truth came out.

Patel was questioned on Monday at the State Department’s daily news briefing about the killing of Eygi on Friday near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Tensions and violence in the occupied territory have skyrocketed in recent months as the Israeli military assault on Gaza has continued and Isareli forces have clashed with militants in neighboring Lebanon as well. In the West Bank, much of the violence has been fueled by a right-wing settler movement accused of violating international law and seizing land from Palestininian families.

On Friday, that violence escalated during a protest and an American-born activist, Aysenur Eygi, was killed. An autopsy was carried out by local medical officials, who have told news outlets that Eygi was killed by a single bullet to the head.

Patel was specifically asked at Monday’s briefing about Presdent Joe Biden’s vow that America would “respond” if a US citizen was targeted anywhere in the world.

"What the president was talking about was a terrorist attack or a direct attack from a state or non-state actor,” Patel responded.

But the State Department’s deputy spokesman would only repeat himself: The US government would not interfere in the “process” carried out by Israel’s government to determine what had happened, and he would “not get ahead of” that “process” in the coming days.

Reporter: "The president said, 'If you harm an American, we will respond.' Does that apply in this case, or are we talking about a different standard?"

Vedant Patel: "What the president was talking about was a terrorist attack or a direct attack from a state or non-state actor"… https://t.co/Js67TpB6rF pic.twitter.com/iAIQqnZTHC

— HalalFlow (@halalflow) September 9, 2024

Patel was also asked by The Intercept’s Prem Thakker how the US could instill confidence in an Israeli investigation given the lack of a conclusion in the official investigation into the killing of Hind Rejab, a six-year-old girl, and members of her family by Israeli forces in January. Rejab’s death came after a vehicle carrying her and her family was fired upon by an Israeli tank; medical officials were also reportedly blocked from rendering aid.

The State Department spokesman said only that the US would “continue” raising the issue of these investigations with Israeli officials.

“Our partners in Israel have indicated that they are conducting a process and they will make public their findings... Again, we expect that to happen as swiftly as possible,” said Patel.

His responses drew an angry rebuke from Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress and a member of the left flank of the president’s party.

“Dear Americans, If you are killed by the Israeli government, our country won't care,” wrote the Michigan congresswoman. “No one will be held accountable. It doesn't matter who you are, Israel can kill Americans and get away with it.”

Dear Americans, If you are killed by the Israeli government, our country won't care.

No one will be held accountable. It doesn't matter who you are, Israel can kill Americans and get away with it. https://t.co/oUa8LRoWQo

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 9, 2024

Separately, national security council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House press briefing Monday that the president had not yet been in touch with the family of Eygi, as he had with other families of Americans affected by the war in Gaza including the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas militants.

Eygi’s family said in a statement obtained by CNN that an Israeli-led investigation would not be sufficient to accurately determine the truth, and called on the Biden administration to launch an independent probe.

“We welcome the White House’s statement of condolences, but given the circumstances of Aysenur’s killing, an Israeli investigation is not adequate,” read the statement reported by CNN.

“We call on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a US citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties.”