Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed by a gunman in Washington, D.C., while leaving an event outside the Capitol Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. The tragedy comes on the heels of the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has sparked heated debates among conservative and liberal voters alike.
2 Israeli Embassy Aides Killed in Washington, D.C.
The victims were identified as a young couple, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. They were committed to building bridges between the Jews and Arabs, hoping to end the bloodshed in the Middle East. Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the AJC, said, “Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us. Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing, and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we process this immense tragedy.”
Deutch said Milgrim from Overland Park, Kansas, was “warm and compassionate, committed to peace building and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations.” He noted that Lischinsky was a staff member of the embassy’s political department, which addresses issues in the Middle East. According to people who knew the Israeli embassy staff aides well, the young couple was committed to ending the bloody conflict in the Middle East.
The 97th Oscars expressed the Israel-Hamas war back in March, called ‘No Other Land.’ Due to the murders, Israeli embassies around the world swiftly stepped up security. Israel faces international backlash for its escalating Gaza military offensive, while Jewish advocacy groups have sounded the alarm on rising antisemitic incidents globally.
President Trump Speaks Out
President Donald Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.” Washington Metro Police Chief Pamela Smith said that the shooter shot at a group of four people with a handgun, striking both victims. Before his horrendous act, he was pacing outside the museum, slightly more than a mile from the White House.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, who is from Chicago, chanted “Free Palestine, Free Palestine” after event security took him into custody. Per Smith, “Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense.” FBI agents were blocking off the street at Rodriguez’s apartment on Thursday.
Pam Bondi’s Response
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters that authorities concluded that the shooter acted alone in the murder of the two Israeli embassy victims. Kattie Kalisher, 29, who was a witness, said was one of the people in the museum who were chatting to a man looking very nervous after gunfire was heard outside the museum when he suddenly pulled out a keffiyeh scarf. Kalisher said, “He (Rodriguez) says, ‘I did it. I did it for Gaza, free, free Palestine.’ And he’s chanting this. And then suddenly the police come in and they arrest him.”
Rodriguez was once affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a far-left group in Chicago. Per a statement on their X account, addressing the murders of the two Israeli embassy victims, ” We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the D.C. shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL. He briefly associated with one branch of the PSL that ended in 2017. We have had no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.”Â
Final Thoughts
The two Israeli embassy victims had many plans and were very active in hoping to improve relations with the Israelis and Palestinians. Lischinsky planned to propose to Milgirm next week during a trip to Jerusalem. He spoke fluent German and grew up in Bavaria. A Christian who converted to Judaism, Lischinsky had always made plans to become a diplomat. Milgrim was an active volunteer at Tech2Peace, an advocacy group that prioritizes training Israelis and Palestinians for productive dialogue. Milgrim was also active in inclusion initiatives for LGBTQ+ Jews. Lischinsky was 30 years old, and Milgrim was 26 years old.
