The family of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish American activist killed by Israeli troops, has criticized U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell for obstructing the approval of two congressional resolutions that would have prevented weapons sales to Israel.
Eygi, 26, was killed by Israeli forces after a protest over illegal Israeli settlements near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 6. Although the U.S. called for a "swift, thorough and transparent investigation” following the incident, no accountability has been achieved. Israel’s preliminary findings claimed she was "highly likely” hit "indirectly and unintentionally” during an operation targeting a "main instigator of violent activity.”
But video evidence and witness accounts dispute this, alleging she was deliberately targeted by an Israeli sniper. Türkiye similarly launched an investigation.
Ezgi was a constituent in Cantwell's home state of Washington.
"We asked her to explain how she reconciled this support with the pursuit of justice for Ayşenur, who was her constituent," the family wrote.
The letter condemned Cantwell's votes against Senate Joint Resolutions 34 and 41, both introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders to halt planned weapons transfers to Israel, including tens of thousands of automatic assault rifles.
While Sen. Patty Murray – also representing Washington – supported the resolutions, the family said Cantwell's opposition reflected a broader disconnect between her rhetoric on human rights and her legislative decisions. "A meaningful step, aligning with Washingtonians' call for accountability," they said of Murray's vote.
"How do you reconcile your support for the U.S.-funded continuation of Israel's internationally recognized war crimes alongside your duty to seek justice for Ayşenur?" the family asked Cantwell directly in the letter.
They argued that Cantwell's votes created an "irreconcilable" contradiction, backing the very policies that, in their view, allowed for Eygi's killing while blocking efforts to hold Israel accountable.
Eygi was participating in a nonviolent demonstration in the occupied West Bank when she was killed. Her death came amid soaring Israeli violence across Palestinian territories.
Since the beginning of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 1,012 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 wounded in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the dismantling of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Despite global appeals for a cease-fire, Israel's offensive on Gaza has continued, killing more than 60,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The deaths of American citizens in the West Bank have drawn international attention, such as the fatal shooting of a prominent Palestinian American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022 in the Jenin refugee camp. The deaths of Palestinians who do not have dual nationality rarely receive the same scrutiny.
