Ramirez, 20 Members of Congress Press Blinken on Actions to Stop Settler and Escalating Violence in the West Bank

Washington, DC– Yesterday, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), the Vice Ranking Member of Homeland Security, led 20 members of Congress in pressing Secretary of State Antony Blinken for concrete action to address the rising settler expansion and violence in the West Bank. In the letter, the members of Congress ask the Secretary to provide answers on how the U.S. government will hold Israeli security forces accountable for: 

• the unprovoked and unjustified killing of an American citizen, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi,
• and their complicity in the increasing settlement violence in the West Bank.  

The letter follows Blinken’s statement during a Press Availability on September 10, where the Secretary called for fundamental changes in how the Israeli government operates in the West Bank. 

“Your call for fundamental changes to Israeli security force operations in the West Bank echoes previous and ongoing concerns from multiple members of Congress on the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, increasing settlement expansion and violence against Palestinians, and the complicity of Israeli security forces,” wrote the members of Congress.

“While the administration has taken steps thus far, including calling settlements illegal and visa restrictions and financial sanctions on those involved in undermining peace, security, or stability in the West Bank, they have failed to stem the violence and illegal settlement expansions happening in the West Bank. We look forward to hearing in the briefing how any new actions will lead to actual change and urge you to remain committed to a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians live in peace with equal rights, dignity, and freedom,” concluded Ramirez and the representatives.

The letter was signed by Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), Cori Bush (MO-01), Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), Pramila Jayapal (WA–07), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Summer Lee (PA-12), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07). 

Yesterday’s letter is a follow-up to Ramirez’s letter with Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and 18 members of Congress calling President Joe Biden to take immediate action to address settler violence and protect the lives and well-being of Palestinians in the West Bank. In the letter, also addressed to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the members of Congress urged the Administration to thoroughly investigate and take the urgent necessary actions to hold all parties accountable, including determining if any of the 60,000 Americans in Israeli settlements and outposts are responsible for crimes committed against Palestinians.

For the full text of the letter, click here.

BACKGROUND

On September 6, Israeli forces admitted to having “accidentally” killed a Turkish American activist, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, during an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank, as reported by The Associated Press. The White House said it was “deeply disturbed” by the killing of a U.S. citizen and called on Israel to investigate what happened. The murder of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi happened amid a rise of settler and military expansion and violence in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. According to Palestinian health officials, more than 690 Palestinians have been killed since then.