Biden demands ‘accountability’ from Israel after anti-Israel activist with US citizenship shot dead during riots in Nablus.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News Staff
President Joe Biden expressed outrage Wednesday over the killing of a far-left activist during a Palestinian riot in the city of Nablus (Shechem) in Samaria.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Biden lauded Aysenur Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-born activist in the far-left, anti-Israel International Solidarity Movement, who was shot and killed as IDF soldiers clashed with rioters last Friday.
The president called the death of the dual Turkish-American citizen “totally unacceptable,” and demanded “full accountability” from Israel.
“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the death of Aysenur Eygi. Aysenur was a recent U.S. college graduate. She was also an activist whose idealism led her to travel to the West Bank to peacefully protest the expansion of settlements. The shooting that led to her death is totally unacceptable.”
“Israel has acknowledged its responsibility for Aysenur’s death, and a preliminary investigation has indicated that it was the result of a tragic error resulting from an unnecessary escalation,” Biden continued.
“The U.S. government has had full access to Israel’s preliminary investigation, and expects continued access as the investigation continues, so that we can have confidence in the result. We will continue to stay in close contact with Israeli and Palestinian authorities regarding the circumstances that led to Aysenur’s death.”
“There must be full accountability. And Israel must do more to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.”
Biden issued the statement a day after the Israeli military issued a report concluding that Aysenur was likely accidentally killed by IDF gunfire during Friday’s riots.
“The incident occurred during a violent gathering of dozens of Palestinian suspects, who burned tires and threw stones at forces at Beita Junction,” the IDF statement continued, adding that the military “expresses its deepest regret over the death.”