NEWS GLEAMS | UW Grad Activist Killed by Israel Defense Forces in West Bank; South End Tuesday Debate Watch Parties

Local Turkish American Activist Killed by Israel Defense Forces in West Bank

Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi — a 26-year-old Turkish American activist based out of the Seattle area — was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in the West Bank on Friday, Sept. 6. Local authorities and witnesses, including other activists, confirmed that Eygi had been attending a weekly demonstration against illegal Israeli settlements near the village of Beita and city of Nablus. A hospital in Nablus conducted an autopsy on Saturday and revealed that Eygi was killed by a sniper bullet to the head. Several witnesses said the Israeli sniper had been stationed on a rooftop near the demonstration.

In response to Eygi’s death, the Israeli military stated that it had been firing its weapons at “a main instigator of violent activity who hurled rocks” at its forces. It also said it was “looking into reports that a foreign national was killed as a result of shots fired in the area.”

Eygi had recently graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a degree in psychology and Middle Eastern languages and cultures. She had only been in the West Bank for two days alongside the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a pro-Palestinian organization, before she was killed. ISM stated on Saturday that the demonstration had been painful; it said that claims by the Israeli government that it had thrown rocks was “false.”

“The demonstration, which primarily involved men and children praying, was met with force from the Israeli army stationed on a hill. Initially, the army fired a large amount of tear gas and then began using live ammunition,” ISM wrote in a statement on its website. “The Israeli forces fired two rounds. One hit a Palestinian man in the leg, injuring him. The other round was fired at international human rights activists who were observing the demonstration, striking a human rights activist in the head. Eygi died shortly after being transported to a local hospital in Nablus.”

ISM reported that, since 2020, Eygi has been the 18th demonstrator to be killed in Beita.

Responses From the U.S. Government

The Israeli government’s statements mirror those coming out of the White House. U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett stated that the White House was “deeply disturbed by [Eygi’s] tragic death,” and Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that he had “no higher priority than the safety and protection of American citizens, wherever they are.” Though Blinken said the Biden administration would “gather the facts” and “act on it,” neither President Joe Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris have released explicit comments about Eygi.

Eygi’s family has also stated that they do not believe an Israeli probe is “adequate.” The White House frequently calls for investigations to be made by the state of Israel but rarely calls for independent, third-party investigations. Cases investigated by Israel frequently do not result in consequences for allegedly offending parties.

In 2022, veteran Al Jazeera journalist and U.S. citizen Shireen Abu Akleh was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper. Though Israel initially denied involvement, a number of independent investigations later confirmed that the soldier was at fault — but the Israeli government declined to impose any consequences. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation also opened an investigation shortly thereafter following pressure from Akleh’s advocates, but no updates have been released.

In March 2003, 23-year-old activist and Olympia, Washington, resident Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli soldier who was driving a bulldozer. Corrie had been in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where bulldozers had already destroyed a number of nearby homes before coming for the family home where the college student had been staying. Corrie’s family spent over 20 years seeking accountability for her death, first through the Israeli Military Justice system, which closed the case without filing a comprehensive report, then through international organizations and the Department of Justice, which, in 2006, ultimately declined to review the case despite lawsuits and legislation pushed by Congressmembers.

Statements From Eygi’s Family

Shortly after Eygi’s death, her family released a public statement that said, “Today, our family and our community are in shock and grief, as we wrestle with the reality that our beloved Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi is gone. Like the olive tree she lay beneath where she took her last breaths, Ayşenur was strong, beautiful, and nourishing. Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military.”

“Ayşenur was a loving daughter, sister, partner, and aunt. She was gentle, brave, silly, supportive, and a ray of sunshine” the statement continued. “She wore her heart on her sleeves. She felt a deep responsibility to serve others and lived a life of caring for those in need with action. She was a fiercely passionate human rights activist her whole life — a steadfast and staunch advocate of justice.”

Egyi had been active on the UW campus, where she helped organize student-led protests; she also participated in a number of pro-Palestinian protests around the country. In Seattle, a pro-Palestinian march that had already been scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7, became highly focused on calling for justice around Eygi’s death.

Seattle City Council Vote Allows for Increases in Utilities Bills

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Seattle City Council approved plans that would allow for annual rate increases from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and Seattle City Light (SCL) for the delivery of their services. SPU, which provides water, sewage, waste, and drainage services, expects a 3.7% annual increase beginning next year; SCL, which provides electricity, expects a 5.4% increase.

Agency data and reporting from The Seattle Times suggests that average monthly utility and electricity costs could reach $444 annually by the year 2030. Currently, the rates average about $333 per household per year and are billed about every two months.

The increases are intended to offset factors such as increases in energy demand, rises in construction costs, and incrementally extreme weather. Both agencies are investing in long-term systemic changes, such as a desire from SCL to increase the use of solar panels in the area.

A big expense for SPU includes the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, which is a 2.7-mile-long tunnel with an 18-foot-10-inch internal diameter that extends from Ballard to Wallingford. The tunnel — which adds to a network of around 150 tunnels in the region for purposes of sewer, utility, or transportation — is intended to halt sewage and stormwater from flowing into the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The tunnel now costs $710 million, though it was initially estimated at $570 million when it first began construction in 2021.

South End Debate Watch Parties for Tuesday

Tuesday night, Sept. 10, will mark the first debate between Democratic candidate and current Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump. The 90-minute debate will be held at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST) at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and will be hosted by ABC News.

The evening’s moderators will be “World News Tonight” anchor and Managing Editor David Muir, alongside ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis. No audience will be present in the room.

Among the rules that ABC News has set for the evening, only moderators will be allowed to ask questions, and each candidate will have their microphone turned off whenever it is not their turn to speak. Candidates will be given two minutes to answer each question and two minutes to make their rebuttals. An additional minute may be given for any necessary clarifications or follow-ups.

On Sept. 3, a virtual coin flip determined each candidate’s podium placement and the order of closing statements, which leaves Trump the final closing statement. Neither candidate will have opening statements, and both will have two minutes for their closing statements.

No props or written notes will be allowed onstage, and candidates will be required to stand behind their respective podiums during the duration of the debate.

Virtual Viewing Methods

The debate will air live at 6 p.m. PST on the ABC network or the ABC News Live 24/7 streaming network, Disney+, and Hulu.

Other news outlets, such as NPR, will also be hosting their own commentaries on the debate.

In-Person Viewing Parties

• South Hudson Music Project Presents: Presidential Debate at the Royal Room (Plus Pre-Debate Dinner Jazz!)
  With doors opening at 4:45 p.m., The Royal Room’s event is free but first-come, first-served. It features pre-debate jazz, dining, and cocktail music with the Barton Horufi Trio, featuring Geoff Harper and Jacques Willis, from 5 to 6 p.m. Debate viewing will begin afterward, promptly at 6 p.m. RSVP on The Royal Room’s website.

• Filipino Community Center Viewing
  The event will start at 5 p.m. at 5740 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. RSVP by emailing apalawa@gmail.com.

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the editor-in-chief of REDEFINE, a long-time member of the Seattle Arts Commission, and a film educator at the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they previously served as executive director and played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences. After a recent stint as the interim managing editor at South Seattle Emerald, they are moving into production on their feature film, Reckless Spirits, which is a metaphysical, multilingual POC buddy comedy. They have a master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

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