Families of Americans killed in West Bank demand accountability and justice

Amna Nawaz:

After meeting with leaders of Arab countries on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week, President Trump again today promised that he won't let Israel annex the West Bank.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: Nope, I will not allow it. It's not going to happen.

Question Did you speak with Netanyahu about this directly?

Donald Trump, President of the United States: Yes. But I'm not going to allow it, whether I spoke to him or not. I did. But I'm not allowing Israel to annex the West Bank. There's been enough. It's time to stop now.

Amna Nawaz:

Recently, extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied territory has been the highest since the U.N. started recording. Over the last two years, several Americans have been among those killed there.

Recently, I sat down with three American families still seeking accountability and justice for the death or detention of their loved ones.

Joining us now are Ozden Eygi Bennett, whose sister, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a human rights activist from Seattle, was killed by Israeli forces during a protest in the West Bank last year, also Kamel Musallet, whose 20-year-old son, Saif Musallet from Florida, was beaten to death, allegedly by Israeli settlers, and Zeyad Kadur, whose 16-year-old nephew, Mohammed Ibrahim from Florida, has been detained in Israel without trial for months.

Thank you all so much for being here. We really appreciate your time.

(Crosstalk)

Amna Nawaz:

Ozden, I will begin with you, because this month marks a year since your sister Aysenur was killed. Israeli officials, we know, said late last year that it was highly likely she was killed by Israeli forces during a protest, in their words, hit indirectly and unintentionally.

But I know you and your family have been calling for a U.S.-led investigation. Tell us why. What are the questions that you still want answers to?

Ozden Eygi Bennett, Sister of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi: Since the killing of my sister, we really haven't received any information.

We know that there is an ongoing Israeli investigation. An Israeli investigation is not acceptable to us as the family, because you can't have someone who committed the crime investigate themselves and judge themselves on whether or not they're guilty.

And that's why we're pushing for a U.S.-led investigation, one that's unbiased, credible, and thorough, so we can get answers to why my sister was killed and who killed her, so that we can seek some sort of accountability for her death.

Amna Nawaz:

I also have to ask you, because I know you said recently that you were worried about your sister's safety before she went over there. Did she ever share that concern?

Ozden Eygi Bennett:

She was so passionate about going and being in solidarity with Palestinians, that the risk to her was worth it.

And in one of her last conversations with my dad, they were in an argument because he said: "What if you get shot? What if you die?"

And she said: "If my death makes a difference, then so be it."

And so that's why we're here today continuing to advocate for her.

Amna Nawaz:

Kamel, your son Saif was in the West Bank, was visiting family, I understand on your family farm, something he regularly did over the summers growing up as well.

Kamel Musallet, Father of Sayfollah Musallet: Yes.

Amna Nawaz:

And he was killed just two months ago. Tell us how you learned about his passing and also what you understand about how he died.

Kamel Musallet:

The way I learned about his passing was, I was actually in the States at that moment on July 11.

What happened was that Israeli settlers that day, a mob of them attacked the youth that were there. and Sayfollah was one of the youth that were there. They were on our land.

Amna Nawaz:

This was on your family farm.

Kamel Musallet:

Our village is basically 85 percent U.S. citizens. So this — all these lands are actually owned by U.S., American citizen passport holders and legally ours. Israeli settlers were there illegally.

A mob of them attacked the youth, and they kind of ambushed them. And one of his friends was busted up. He had his knee busted up with sticks. His other friend was shot. And he also died that day. His name was Mohammed Shalabi, a close friend of Sayfollah.

Sayfollah was also unfortunately, that day, he was beaten heavily. And when his friends found him, he was still breathing. My son told me that he's looking at his brother basically dying in front of his own eyes, and for 2.5 hours the Israeli army prevented any medical assistance. Ambulances tried to go in, but they didn't have a permit to get in.

And finally, when they got this permit, one of the ambulances came in and it was attacked by the Israeli settlers, windows busted. Then, finally, the ambulance got to Sayfollah, and he was still breathing. Five minutes before he got into the ambulance, Mohammed (ph), his younger brother, told me that he's seen his brother take his last breath.

So for 2.5 hours — so he was breathing, and only five minutes before he went into the ambulance, he took his last breath. And who was blocking that was the Israeli army, and not the settlers. The settlers did the damage, and the Israeli army blocked the help.

Amna Nawaz:

Kamel, I cannot imagine what it was like to endure that, to share that with us now and relive it.

But I have to ask, have there been any investigations, any arrests since that attack and since your son's killing?

Kamel Musallet:

According to the Israeli army, which they told me — this was only like two days after — or I actually read on Israeli Times newspaper that somebody was apprehended, but they were released.

And they said there's an ongoing investigation. But I have got no answers from any Israeli authority whatsoever. Nothing.

Amna Nawaz:

Zeyad, meanwhile, your nephew Mohammed, who I understand is Saif's cousin right, was visiting family also in the occupied West Bank earlier this year. He was arrested from that home in February, and I understand he's been detained for months since then, allegedly, we have heard, for throwing rocks at Israeli settlers.

So what can you tell us about why he's been held for so long, whether or not he's been charged and also how he's doing today?

Zeyad Kadur, Uncle of Mohammed Ibrahim: Mohammed was arrested, possibly kidnapped from his home on February 16 between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning; 25 to 30 soldiers came to the house.

He came out of the room blindfolded, handcuffed with M16s being pointed at him with soldiers wearing ski masks. Yesterday was seven months. The day that he was blindfolded and handcuffed was the last time anybody from the family has seen him, including his parents.

Amna Nawaz:

In seven months, there's been no contact with anyone in his family?

(Crosstalk)

Zeyad Kadur:

Well, over seven months now, yes.

Amna Nawaz:

And he is how old?

Zeyad Kadur:

He turns 16 in March.

Amna Nawaz:

So he's a minor in detention?

Zeyad Kadur:

In detention. He's a child. He's a petite 15-year-old. Our family doesn't consider him being 16 because he turned 16 in a box; 16 is where you — it's a big day for a 16-year-old in America. You get your driver's permit, you get your summer job.

So he's still 15 in our eyes, yes.

Amna Nawaz:

Do you have any insight into how he's doing? Have you gotten any information at all?

Zeyad Kadur:

So we have got some e-mails from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, noticeable weight loss. One visit said noticeable skin infection, scabies, on the leg. Medication was denied.

Then we found out the scabies spread throughout his whole body. His lawyers haven't been able to see him. I'm here on the behalf of his father. He can't be here. He'd like to be sitting in this chair, but he can't take the risk of leaving the country and not coming back in.

And after seeing what happened to his cousin, we said we have to escalate this and we need to get this kid home.

Amna Nawaz:

I want to underscore here, all of your loved ones are American citizens. You are here trying to get the attention of this administration and asking them to act.

What has that conversation been like, Ozden?

Ozden Eygi Bennett:

My sister was a Washington state resident, and our Washington state representatives, senators, congresswomen have been doing whatever they can to help us. But, unfortunately, they're being stonewalled by the Israeli government and military and they're being stonewalled by our own State Department and the Department of Justice.

There have been numerous letters sent to the Department of Justice urging an open investigation into my sister's killing.

Amna Nawaz:

But no action taken over the last year?

Ozden Eygi Bennett:

No action taken.

The one thing that is the thread between all of our families and stories we have shared is the impunity, continued impunity that our government grants Israel to continue killing American citizens, to continue committing international war crimes. There are no consequences or red lines so far for what Israel can commit and get away with.

Amna Nawaz:

Kamel, what is the one thing — if you could ask the U.S. government to do one thing right now, what would that be?

Kamel Musallet:

My son was born and raised in the USA. I was born an American citizen. We're as American as you can get.

And we just want to see some sort of accountability and for this impunity to stop. I can't bring my son back. We don't want no other father to bury their child like I did.

Amna Nawaz:

Zeyad, as you mentioned, you want your nephew to come home alive, and soon. And what is the one thing that you want the government to do right now that they have not yet done?

Zeyad Kadur:

Why is there such a double standard just by having the word Palestinian in your name or in your heritage or in your DNA? Why can't he just be a 15-year-old child that's wrongfully detained for seven months, starved, skin-infected, hasn't seen his family? His family hasn't seen him.

What we're asking here is for them to do their job. That's what we're asking. You work for the State Department, Marco Rubio. You're a Floridian. This kid is a child from Florida. Treat him like one.

Amna Nawaz:

Zeyad Kadur, Kamel Musallet and Ozden Eygi Bennett, thank you so much for being here, for sharing the memories of your loved ones and the stories of — and we hope to see back here soon.

Kamel Musallet:

Thank you for having us.

Zeyad Kadur:

Thank you for having us.

Amna Nawaz:

Thank you.

Ozden Eygi Bennett:

Thank you.

Zeyad Kadur:

Thank you.