Shock in the Jewish community over the killing of two Israeli embassy employees: ‘We are always the target’

The murder of two Israeli embassy employees in the United States, Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgrim, in downtown Washington has shocked the city's Jewish community. Some of its members recently went to the area near the Jewish Museum, where a suspect was shot and shouted "Free Palestine!" after being arrested. There were messages of grief, calls for an end to the violence, and calls for the need to strengthen protection and security.

Washington, DC, experienced a tragic night last Wednesday after two Israeli embassy employees in the United States were shot by a man who shouted "Free Palestine!" upon being arrested, authorities announced.

The crime occurred in front of the Jewish Museum in the capital, in an area full of government buildings and tourist attractions, including the FBI headquarters.

According to authorities, the incident occurred around 9:08 p.m. local time (01:08 GMT) on Wednesday, May 21, when police received multiple calls reporting a shooting near the Jewish Museum in Washington.

The victims, identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgram, were found unconscious and dead. Both were attending an event for young Jewish professionals, organized by the American Jewish Committee, intended to "foster unity and celebrate Jewish heritage."

The Israeli Embassy confirmed their identities and expressed its "devastation" over the loss in a statement. "Our staff is heartbroken and devastated by his murder," said Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, who also revealed that the couple had plans to get engaged during an upcoming trip to Jerusalem, and that the young man had bought a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend.

Yaron Lischinsky, 28, a German citizen, moved to Israel as a teenager and has been working at the Israeli Embassy in Washington since 2022. According to Jenny Havemann, who met him through a German-Israeli group, he was part of a youth group promoting understanding between the two nations. He was also a "devout Christian" and planned to propose to Sarah during a trip to Jerusalem. Sarah Lynn Milgram, his partner, was active in Jewish events in the city and was considered "friendly and well-liked" by those who knew her.

Yael Bromverg, a constitutional rights attorney, said the community is "distraught, completely distraught." "Jews represent only 2% of the world's population, and we are always targeted," she said.

Police removed the security cordon they had established around the museum on Thursday, where members of Washington's Jewish community, from Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter to members of Congress from both the Republican and Democratic parties, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, and many anonymous people, came to offer their condolences. Some left flowers. Others wrote messages with marker on pieces of paper, asking for peace or paying tribute to the victims.

"May we plant and cultivate the seeds of peace, not hate," read one message. "I pray that this crime may be a cry that leads to peace," read another. "May his memory be a blessing," read yet another. "May a peacemaker step forward to build love, not hate."

"It's very sad, especially because those who were attacked were committed to peace," reflected Bromverg, who noted that the victims were in favor of peace and bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza. "We have to protect peacekeepers," he said, calling the previous day's shooting "senseless violence."

"This will never stop if we don't start doing things differently," said Scott Perlo, rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, the local synagogue, outside the Jewish Museum. "I'm tired of people who don't think about the future and who think in such a fanciful, almost messianic way, believing that only they, with enough violence and effort, can once and for all end the problem of 14 million people, seven million on each side," he said, in a vague reference to the Israeli and Palestinian populations.

"The idea that actions like these are going to resolve this conflict, one way or another, fills me with profound anger, it affects me deeply," added Perlo, who lamented that, without a change of mentality, "both Israelis and Palestinians will be in this situation for practically the next few centuries." "It's a completely unsolvable situation; none of this makes sense. There's terrorism, there's pain and suffering, and no one is thinking about the future, least of all the guy who shot these two lovely people last night," he added.

The doors of the museum, officially known as the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, remained closed on Thursday. Beatrice Gurwitz, its director, declared herself "deeply shocked" by the murders, which she did not hesitate to describe as "an act of horrific anti-Semitic violence."

"This tragedy is devastating. These terrorist acts seek to instill fear, silence voices, and erase history, but we refuse to allow them to succeed," he said in an emailed statement.

"The Capital Jewish Museum was built to tell the century-old story of the vibrant Jewish community in the Washington metropolitan region. We are proud to tell these stories of Jewish life. In our work, we share Jewish stories to build bridges and foster dialogue in our beautiful city. We are working to reopen the museum in the coming days, with all necessary safety measures in place, so we can once again tell the story of Washington's Jewish community to thousands of visitors from around the world," Gurwitz added.

Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a distressed-looking man entered. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, not realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a Palestinian scarf and repeatedly shouted "Free Palestine!" Kalin told the AP.

"This event was all about humanitarian aid," Kalin said. "How can we truly help both the people of Gaza and the people of Israel? How can we unite Muslims, Jews, and Christians to work together and truly help innocent people? And here he is, murdering two people in cold blood," he added.

"I did it for Palestine," said the alleged perpetrator

Police identified the shooter as Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago man and pro-Palestinian activist whose home was searched by law enforcement officers on Thursday. The man told police after his arrest, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," according to case documents released Thursday, which accuse him of the Wednesday night attack.

The documents indicate that the shooting was captured on surveillance cameras outside the museum, which authorities say show Rodriguez firing several more shots at the victims after they fell to the ground.

The alleged perpetrator shouted "Free Palestine!" as he was led away after his arrest and told police he was the attacker, according to charging documents. Rodriguez told investigators he admired the man who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing him as "courageous" and a "martyr." He also claimed he bought tickets to the event at the museum about three hours before it began, according to court documents.

Rodriguez faces charges of murdering foreign officials and other crimes. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said Thursday, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as a hate crime against the Jewish community and an act of terrorism.

"Violence against anyone for religious reasons is an act of cowardice. It is not a heroic act," said Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. "Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation's capital."

At the museum's gates, Rabbi Perlo lamented Thursday: "When you use radical rhetoric, people listen. And if you try to take that rhetoric to the extreme every time, someone will pick up a gun and start shooting. It's irresponsible to speak without acknowledging that such messages lead to action. I don't understand how this helps Palestine," he said.