Friend recalls phone call with Turkish-American activist hours before his murder by Israel

SEATTLE, USA

A friend of Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was killed by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday, described her as “brave,” “honest” and “smart.”

Saif Sharabati, 20, a Palestinian American from Seattle, where Eygi lived, studied and married, spoke to her just hours before her death. She had been preparing to attend a protest in Nablus to show her solidarity with the Palestinian people.

“She was preparing to go to this demonstration to express her solidarity with the Palestinian people in Nablus. She stood in solidarity with them to defend their country,” he told Anadolu.

“She told me, ‘I’m not scared, but I’m not feeling well. I’m stressed’… I told her she’s going to be OK. I told her to take care of herself.”

Eygi was deeply moved by her experiences in the West Bank, said Sharabati, as it was her first visit to the region. The harsh reality of the checkpoints and the situation on the ground deeply moved her. She had planned to visit Sharabati’s family in Hebron the following week – a visit that never materialized.

Although she knew how dangerous it was to travel to the occupied territories, Eygi was determined to show her support for the Palestinian cause.

“She was brave,” Sharabati said.

“She told me about her plans, about the visits she wanted to make. She was planning to visit my family in Hebron in the West Bank next week. But that didn’t happen because she was killed,” he added.

Eygi, 26, a US and Turkish citizen, was shot dead by Israeli forces during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, in the Nablus district of the West Bank.

Witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition at protesters against illegal settlements on Mount Sbeih in Beita, south of Nablus. Although she was away from the main protest area, she was fatally shot. Although she was taken to a hospital, medical staff were unable to save her.

Eygi arrived in the West Bank on Tuesday and volunteered with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to protect Palestinian farmers.

The Israeli military confirmed the shelling and claimed it was responding to a “violent activity in which stones were thrown at the forces and posed a threat to them (the Israeli security forces).” The Israeli claim was refuted by witnesses and the ISM.

Eygi was born in Antalya, Turkey, in 1998 and moved to Seattle, Washington, with her parents Rabia Eygi and Mehmet Suat Eygi when she was less than a year old. In June, she graduated from the University of Washington, where she studied psychology and Middle Eastern languages ​​and cultures.

Sharabati and Eygi had met a few months earlier at a pro-Palestinian university camp in Seattle and quickly became close friends.

“Aisha was incredible,” he said. “She was so kind. She was honest… She was the person who did things from the heart.”

Eygi had confided to Sharabati that it was her first time attending such a demonstration in the West Bank and that she was nervous. He urged her to be careful about her safety and to stay close to locals who are familiar with the behavior of Israeli soldiers and know how to handle the situation.

“She loved Palestine. She always wanted to stand with the Palestinians and their resistance against the Israeli occupation. She gave me this T-shirt. It means a lot to me,” said Sharabati.

“We will never forget Aisha,” he said, wearing a sweatshirt with a map of Palestine that she had given him a month ago.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry described Eygi’s death as a “murder” committed by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The US State Department and White House said they were seeking further information from Israel about the circumstances of her death and had called for an investigation.

Eygi’s family released a statement on Thursday calling on the Biden administration to conduct an independent investigation into her killing.

“Aysenur, a U.S. citizen, was peacefully pursuing justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military gunman. We welcome the White House’s expression of condolences, but given the circumstances of Aysenur’s killing, an Israeli investigation is not appropriate,” the family said in a statement.

“We call on President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary of State Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a U.S. citizen and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable.”

The Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news offered to AA News Broadcasting System (HAS) subscribers, in a summarized form. Please contact us regarding subscription options.