White House ‘Outraged’ At Israel Killing Ayşenur Eygi, But Stops Short Of Consequences

Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris expressed outrage on Wednesday after Israel acknowledged responsibility for killing American activist Ayşenur Eygi in the West Bank, but they stopped short of implementing or threatening to implement any consequences for the country, which the U.S. continues to arm unconditionally.

Before Wednesday morning, the White House was facing increased public scrutiny for taking several days to speak out after an Israeli sniper shot 26-year-old Eygi in the head on Friday while she served as a protection volunteer during a protest against illegal settlement expansion in Beita, a village in the West Bank city of Nablus.

In his statement, Biden said that he was “outraged and deeply saddened” by Eygi’s killing, while Harris called her death a “horrific tragedy that never should have happened.” Both figures called the shooting unacceptable.

“Ayşenur 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,” Biden said of the Seattle resident, who as a graduate student helped organize pro-Palestinian campus protests at the University of Washington. Eygi then joined the International Solidarity Movement, a human rights group in which members serve as international observers and protection volunteers so that Palestinians can safely protest the occupation.

“No one should be killed for participating in a peaceful protest,” Harris said, adding that she is keeping Eygi’s family and loved ones in her prayers.

Eygi’s family confirmed on Wednesday morning that Biden and Harris have still not called them to directly to express their condolences, a break from the president’s