SEATTLE – Recent University of Washington graduate Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was reportedly killed by the Israeli Defense Force during a protest in the West Bank Friday, spurring condemnation of the country’s military from Washington lawmakers. But in Florida, Rep. Randy Fine (R) viewed the killing as cause for celebration.
“Throw rocks, get shot. One less #MuslimTerrorist #FireAway,” Fine said via social media.
The statement celebrating the death of the 26-year-old immediately drew condemnation from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which called upon the Florida legislature to censure Fine.
“We struggle to think of another time in modern American history when an elected official openly celebrated the murder of an American by a foreign government and encouraged more such killing,” CAIR’s Edward Ahmed Mitchell said.
Eygi was reportedly shot during a human rights protest of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for a full investigation of the incident on Friday.
“We would want to see a full investigation of the circumstances and that people should be held accountable. And again, civilians must be protected at all times,” Dujarric said.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas which Amnesty International is nearing the one-year mark.
Meanwhile, slow moving ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel remain sluggish due to disagreements over control of the Philadelphi corridor.
