Before she was an activist . . .

I've known many different versions of my little sister. The one who'd decide out of nowhere that she was going to learn a new hobby, and then actually do it. The one who would spend an afternoon in the kitchen trying something new, and then make everyone around her taste it (whether they asked to or not.) The one who could walk into a room full of strangers and, within minutes, have them feeling like old friends. That was Ezgi. Once she felt comfortable, she never stopped talking, and it never took her long to get there.

Our family moved to Seattle from Türkiye when she was just ten months old, and this city shaped her. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures. She was thinking about a PhD. She dreamed of opening her own restaurant, coffee shop, and plant store — all in one, she'd say. She was 26 years old, and she was just getting started.

A woman standing on a brick-paved outdoor plaza speaking into a microphone at a protest or rally, with a crowd of young protesters holding signs expressing political messages, including signs that say 'RESIST TRUMP' and 'FIGHT RACISM & SEXISM'; buildings and traffic lights are visible in the background.
A young girl with dark hair in pigtails, wearing a pink dress with puffed sleeves and a Disney princess logo, smiling against a blue background.
A woman holding a young girl on her lap while seated at a piano. The woman is smiling and looking off to the side. The girl is wearing a dark dress, pink tights, and patterned socks, with her arms around the woman’s neck. A floor lamp and curtains are in the background.
A young child sitting on a red couch with a colorful blanket, wearing a green, yellow, and white outfit, and red and yellow slippers, smiling at the camera.
Two girls, one older and one younger, standing together in front of a blackboard with text that appears to say "AT THE BAND." The older girl is smiling, wearing a pink cartoon t-shirt and jeans, and holding a piece of paper. The younger girl is wearing a checkered top and a floral skirt, holding her hands together and leaning slightly against the older girl.
A young woman with dark hair, eyes closed, smiling slightly, wearing a green fleece jacket, a teal scarf, and sunglasses on her head, walking through a grassy field with a dirt path and large green trees in the background on a bright day.

Her journey . . .

Palestine was never abstract for our family. Growing up, it was always there, a part of the world we were learning to understand together. As she got older, Ezgi became involved in all kinds of social justice work. But after October 2023, her focus became sharp. She became vocal. She organized on campus, put together successful fundraisers, community events, awareness campaigns, all because she couldn't sit still while people were suffering.

When she graduated, she told us she still didn't feel like she'd done enough. So she went to the West Bank to serve as a human rights observer to watch, to document, to be present for people whose stories weren't being told. That was who she was. She was brave enough to be moved by injustice, and then to actually do something about it.

A smiling young woman with long dark hair, wearing a blue jacket, sitting on the ground with an adorable puppy, in front of a rocky, green, outdoor landscape.
A smiling woman with curly hair making a peace sign with her fingers in front of a fence.
A woman in outdoor clothing posed with one knee on a large rock amid a forest of tall pine trees and mountainous landscape in the background.
Woman wearing a helmet and sunglasses, sitting on a motorcycle or scooter, adjusting her smartphone with a green jacket and scarf, outdoors on a sunny day.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a beige shawl with embroidery, standing outdoors with a mountainous landscape in the background during daytime.
Woman holding a protest sign that reads 'FREE' with parts of other words visible, standing outdoors among trees and greenery.

What happened?

On September 6, 2024, my sister was shot in the head by an Israeli military sniper from more than 600 feet away. The protest had ended roughly thirty minutes before. She was resting under an olive tree. She was not a threat. She was just there, the way she always was; present, paying attention, caring.

Israel has made statements that misrepresent what happened. The facts don't support them. What I know is that my little sister was killed while doing exactly what she said she was going to do: show up for people who needed someone to witness their lives and their suffering to speak truth into their experiences alongside them.

Ezgi shouldn't have died for caring. She shouldn't have died for showing up. The world she was trying to help build is one where that kind of courage is protected, not punished. We owe it to her to keep demanding that world into existence.

- Written by her sister, Ozden Eygi Bennett

A man and a woman smiling outdoors in a park with trees, cars, and orange traffic barrels in the background.
Two women smiling and laughing at a wedding, one wearing a black dress and the other wearing a white wedding dress, holding a bouquet of sunflowers. They are outdoors with lush green tree foliage in the background.
A man and woman sitting together at a celebration, dressed in traditional clothing, with festive decorations in the background.
Two young adults having a picnic outdoors, seated on a colorful rug with a birthday cake, gift, and cups, smiling and clinking cups.
Two women sitting on grass in a park, smiling and enjoying sunny weather with trees and a blue sky in the background.