Israeli embassy staff shooting by an anti-semitic attacker at a young diplomat’s event: Israel’s Ambassador to Israel and the U.S.

Two staff members from the Israeli embassy were shot and killed in Washington, DC by a man who was later arrested after shouting “Free, Free Palestine” while being held by security officers.

The Capital Jewish Museum was the site of an event for young diplomats hosted by the American Jewish Committee that ended shortly after 9 p.m.

The man approached a group of four people then opened fire, Smith said. A man and woman were found dead, officials said. Smith said that after the shooter entered the museum, he was stopped by event security.

“The suspect chanted ‘Free, free Palestine’ while in custody,” Smith added. The suspect is described by police as being 30 years old from Chicago. He did not have any prior known encounters with police, Smith said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an increase to security arrangements at Israeli diplomatic missions around the world, his office said in a statement. “My heart is sad for the family of the young man and woman who were killed by the terrible antisemitic murderer,” he said.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said that the couple was about to get married. He said a man bought a ring to propose to his girlfriend in Jerusalem.

The ambassador said he had received a phone call from President Trump. Leiter said that the president told him the White House would do everything it could to end anti-semitism.

President Trump stated on his social media site that there is no place for Hatred and Radicalism in the USA. It’s so sad that such things can happen. God bless you all!

Ted Deutch, the group’s CEO, said in a statement to NPR that they were devastated by the violence outside of the venue. “Our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”

“We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on the social media platform X. “Please pray for the families of the victims. This person will be brought to justice.

Steve Jensen, an official in the FBI’s Washington field office called the shooting “a heinous crime.” The FBI is investigating “ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime,” he said.

Israeli and American politicians were not happy with the shooting. “Absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents,” wrote Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on X.

Added Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N.: “Attacking diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world.”

NPR’s Odette Yousef was part of the team that contributed to this report. David is from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The 2 Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington, D.C.: a shock and saddening memory of a loved one

Rodriguez was an employee of the American Osteopathic Association. In a statement, the organization said it was “shocked and saddened” that an employee had been arrested as a suspect in the attack, and said it was fully cooperating with the investigation.

The windows of an apartment believed to be his were covered with political signs facing the street below. Some of the signs addressed local politicians and causes, but other signs dealt with Israel’s war in Gaza. One said for a ceasefire and the other demanded “Free Palestine!” The letters were written to Wadea Al-fyoume, a six-year-old Palestinian- American who was stabbed to death in his home by his landlord shortly after. Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

He was taken into police custody immediately after the shooting and was being questioned by the FBI as well as the Metropolitan Police Department.

Rodriguez was born and raised in Chicago and resided in the northwest neighborhood of Albany Park, in an apartment on a quiet residential side street.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with the parents of both victims, his office said, and he sympathized with their grief.

In a post on X, Shoval Ronen said he was a Christian and a great lover of Israel, and that he dedicated his life to the State of Israel.

Source: Here’s what we know about the 2 Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington, D.C.

Yaron Lischinsky, a Jewish Temple, was Born in Bethe Ansatz, Israel, in 1943–1946, When two Jewish Americans were killed in Washington, D.C.

Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas posted on X about the attack, saying “People in our area know the pain of religious-based violence. We pray for its end.” The site of a shooting that killed three people and was later deemed a hate crime is now a Jewish community center.

“She stood for something larger than herself and she paid the ultimate price for it,” the statement said, calling for unity in the community in response to the attack.

Milgrim grew up in Prairie Village, a suburb of Kansas City, and was a member of a reform synagogue nearby, B’nai Jehudah. In a statement, the temple called Milgrim “a devoted Zionist and a radiant presence in every space she entered.”

Milgrim worked in the embassy’s public diplomacy department, and Lischinsky was a researcher focused on the Middle East and North Africa region. On his LinkedIn profile, Lischinsky wrote that he was an “advocate for interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding” between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Ted Deutch, chief executive of the AJC, said that Sarah and Yaron were taken from them. Before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves. We are distraught as we try to understand the tragedy.

Yaron Lischinsky, 30, was originally from Germany and then arrived in Israel at 16 according to his Linkedin profile. Both the Israeli and German governments reported that he held citizenship in both countries.

Source: Here’s what we know about the 2 Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington, D.C.

The Latest Antisemitic Attacks and the Implications for Israeli Security and Security Forces in the Context of a Low-Violation Gaza War

The recent attacks are the latest in a rise of antisemitic incidents, officials say, and as Israel ramps up its offensive in Gaza where the risk of famine looms for a population ground down by a months-long blockade.