What's happened
President Biden condemned the Israeli military's fatal shooting of Turkish American activist Ayşenur Eygi as 'totally unacceptable.' While Israel acknowledged responsibility, calls for an independent investigation remain unaddressed. Eygi's family demands accountability amid concerns over the Israeli military's conduct in the West Bank.
Why it matters
What the papers say
According to Andrew Roth in The Guardian, President Biden described Eygi's death as 'totally unacceptable' and noted that Israel acknowledged responsibility. However, he did not support calls for an independent inquiry, which Eygi's family has demanded. In contrast, Al Jazeera reported that Vice President Kamala Harris also called for 'full accountability' and emphasized the need for changes in Israeli military conduct. The New York Times highlighted the Eygi family's rejection of the characterization of her death as accidental, calling it 'insensitive and false.' This divergence in perspectives underscores the complexities surrounding accountability and the Israeli military's actions.
How we got here
Ayşenur Eygi was shot during a protest against an Israeli outpost in the West Bank on September 6, 2024. Eygi's death has sparked outrage and calls for accountability, particularly given the history of unprosecuted incidents involving American citizens in the region.
More on these topics
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Kamala Devi Harris is an American attorney and politician who has served as the junior United States Senator from California since 2017.
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Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and represented Delaware in the United States Senate
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The Israel Defense Forces, commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal, are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force, and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has
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The West Bank is a landlocked territory near the Mediterranean coast of Western Asia, bordered by Jordan to the east and by Israel to the south, west and north. The West Bank also contains a significant section of the western Dead Sea shore.
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Antony John Blinken is an American government official who served as United States Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 under President Barack Obama.