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In a horrifying act of targeted violence, two young Israeli Embassy employees were shot and killed late Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
The victims, identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, had just exited the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Young Diplomats Reception when the gunman opened fire. The event, themed “Turning Pain Into Purpose,” brought together Jewish professionals and diplomats for an evening dedicated to building bridges across cultures and faiths.
After the shooting, the assailant entered the museum, where he was detained by event security. While in handcuffs, he chanted, “Free, free Palestine.”
This man Elias Rodriguez killed two Israeli embassy workers in DC, then shouted “Free Palestine.” I’ve been saying it for years: the pro-global intifada “Free Palestine” movement is the most antisemitic force since the Nazis, proving it every day. pic.twitter.com/Rsvs7f4dbJ
— Sacha Roytman (@SachaRoytman) May 22, 2025
Lischinsky, 28, served as a research assistant in the Israeli Embassy’s Political Department in Washington, D.C., focusing on Middle East and North African affairs. Born in Germany, he immigrated to Israel at 16 and completed his IDF service. He held a master’s degree in Government and Diplomacy from Reichman University and a bachelor’s in International Relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before joining the embassy, he worked for Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority.
Milgrim, also 28, worked in the Public Diplomacy Department, coordinating official missions and visits to Israel. A Jewish-American deeply committed to peacebuilding and interfaith engagement, she held dual master’s degrees — from American University and the United Nations University for Peace. Her work included environmental research in India and Central America and peacebuilding initiatives focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Our hearts break for the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, two young Israelis murdered in cold blood by an antisemitic terrorist in DC who chanted “Free Palestine” after the attack. We stand with their loved ones in grief. 💔 pic.twitter.com/S58JHaXg1s
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) May 22, 2025
“These were two beautiful souls,” said Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter, who revealed that Lischinsky had recently bought a ring and was planning to propose to Milgrim next week in Jerusalem. “They came to enjoy an evening of culture and diplomacy — and were murdered for being Israeli, for being Jewish.”
Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives.
This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC.
The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words… pic.twitter.com/2HytKDp8Fr
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) May 22, 2025
This Violence Didn’t Begin With a Gun — It Began With Words
The suspect, Rodriguez, is reportedly a former member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a radical group that frequently promotes anti-Israel rhetoric and recently circulated a pledge to stop Israel’s alleged “genocide.” Rodriguez had attended anti-Israel protests but was not known to law enforcement before the attack.
From Israel, President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the attack as an antisemitic act of terrorism. “My heart aches for the families,” said Netanyahu. “Their lives were cut short in an instant by a vile antisemitic murderer.”
U.S. leaders echoed the sentiment. President Donald Trump responded to the incident on Truth Social, writing: “These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino described the murders as a “targeted act of violence,” and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem said, “Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”
Officials across the Jewish world warned that the murder was the direct result of rising antisemitism, increasingly masked as “pro-Palestinian activism.”
The AJC, which hosted the event, said it was “devastated” by the attack. “We are shattered,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. “An unspeakable act of violence has stolen two lives and stained what should have been an evening of unity.”
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli condemned the widely used protest chant “Free Palestine” as a “cry for murder.” He stated: “Anyone who uses it now, in the wake of this attack, is not just echoing antisemitism—they are legitimizing the murder of Jews.”
Benny Gantz, chairman of Israel’s National Unity party, drew a direct line from antisemitic rhetoric on U.S. campuses to real-world violence. “‘Globalize the intifada’ ends in murder,” he said.
Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, likewise condemned the shooting as part of a broader wave of terror, linking it to the recent murder of a pregnant Israeli woman and Hamas’s October 7 massacre.
A Moment for Moral Clarity
CAM expresses its deepest condolences to the victims’ families and colleagues. We call on law enforcement, media, civic leaders, elected officials, educators, and the diplomatic community to confront antisemitism in all its forms — on the streets, on campus, in politics, and online—and to respond with the urgency this moment demands.
This isn’t only about Israel or the Jewish people. History has shown that what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews. Antisemitism is a warning sign for all, and left unchecked, it threatens the very fabric of every democratic society.
We must name it. We must fight it. And we must stand, unequivocally, with Jewish communities under threat.
CAM will continue to monitor this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
Additional links on this story:
DC Shooting Attack a Direct Result of ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Hate Rhetoric
Tragedy at a Jewish Event in Washington and a Warning for Us All
