Here is a report from our video team on the killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington DC, two members of staff at the Israeli embassy there.
My colleagues Joseph Gedeon in Washington and Lorenzo Tondo in Jerusalem have this full report:
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has finished his press conference in Jerusalem. The atmosphere between the minister and the media was quite confrontational. The last question was from a Reuters journalist, who said “it’s a very, you know, tense climate internationally over lots of issues, the Gaza war, antisemitic attacks and so on” and asked what concrete steps were being taken with European leaders.
Sa’ar then criticised media coverage, referring back to an earlier question from a female journalist having used the phrase “more of the same”, saying:
War is something very tough. Very bad images from war are never pleasant, but the question is, who is responsible for this war? Who initiated this war? Who is responsible for the continuation of this war? Who is causing the suffering, also of the Palestinians?
And the answer is on the images that are rarely been seen on Western screens, including during the last days of brave demonstrators in Gaza that go to the street, risking themselves, shouting “Hamas out”, bring them back their hostages, because we want to finish the war.
But this is ignored. Who is responsible for this war? Who is more of the same? Lady channel 12, more of the same is something that the terrorists offers their people, and for us, elimination. For the people, continuation of suffering. This is the more of the same we are living.
He then said “Thank you” and ended the press conference.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has been asked a question by a different journalist, who said “You kept saying for world’s leader, stop the incitement. But when they’re saying to Israel, mainly after the [Benjamin Netanyahu’s] press conference yesterday, [that] Israel is offering the same, more destruction, more death. What do you tell them?”
There is another long pause, then Sa’ar said “I don’t think it will be constructive to repeat her antisemitic blood libels.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has been asked by a French television journalist if it the statement earlier this week by the French, British and Canadian government “could lead to this kind of violent action.”
There is a long pause, and then Sa’ar says “I think I said very clear things.”
The journalist attempts to rephrase the question, and Sa’ar replies “you are invited to rewind.”
It seems clear that Sa’ar does not wish to directly name Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney in person, but that his comments about European leaders and leaders and officials around the world contributing to an atmosphere of “antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement” were aimed in their direction.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar says he cannot give any more details about the events in Washington DC, as that is down to US law enforcement to do.
Israel's foreign minister accuses European leaders of 'blood libels' which led to Washington DC shooting
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has accused European leaders of “blood libels”, claiming there is a “direct line” from their words and actions to the overnight killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC.
He told a press briefing in Jerusalem:
There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.
This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe.
Their words are the modern blood libels.
Blood libels about genocide, crimes against humanity and murdering babies paved the way exactly for such murders.
This is what happens when leaders in the world surrender to the Palestinian terrorist propaganda and serve it.
Sa’ar said “Terrorism is chasing us everywhere, but we will not surrender to terrorism. Since October 7, Israel has been engaged in a battle on multiple fronts. We are fighting against those whose goal is the elimination of the Jewish state.”
He then addressed the Israeli people, saying “hold your heads high. No other nation would have stood with such courage, dedication and resilience in what we have been through and are still going through during this last year-and-a-half.”
Sa’ar is now taking questions from the media.
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has said the shooting of two members of Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC was “the direct result of toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world that has been going on since the 7 October massacre.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar is speaking now in English. He says he has spoken to Yaron Lischinsky’s father, and says he said to him “his son was a warrior on our diplomatic front that fell just like a soldier in the battlefield.”
Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar is speaking at a press briefing in Jerusalem now. He is initially giving a Hebrew statement, and then will speak in English.
More details soon …
It is approaching 11am in Jerusalem, and 4am in Washington DC. We are expecting a press conference shortly from Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar. We will bring you the key lines that emerge.
Israel’s embassy in the US issues photo of the two victims
Israel’s embassy in the US has issued a photo of the two victims of the shooting overnight in Washington DC. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were employees at the embassy.
Updated
Lorenzo Tondo is in Jerusalem for the Guardian
The two victims of the shooting attack in Washington DC, have been named. Yaron Lischinsky, 28 and Sarah Milgrim, were both Israeli embassy employees. They were murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
Lischinsky, 28, worked in the political department of the Israeli embassy in Washington.
According to the bio on his Times of Israel blog, Lischinsky had a master’s degree in Government, Diplomacy & Strategy from Reichman University and a bachelor’s in International Relations from Hebrew University.
He wrote on his LinkedIn page: “I’m an ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords and believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbors and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the State of Israel and the Middle East as a whole. To this end, I advocate for interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding.”
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues,” the Israeli embassy said on X. “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 can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
Washington Metropolitan police Chief Pamela Smith said the killer, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, '‘chanted, ‘Free, free Palestine,’ while in custody.”
According to media reports in Israel and the US, Rodriguez was allegedly a member of a group that advocated on behalf of Palestinians.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN: this was an attack against Israel, the Jewish community and 'the US itself'
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has said his country’s embassies are on “high alert” after two embassy staff were shot dead in Washington DC.
Speaking to CNN, Danon said “It is a very difficult night for all of us here in the US. It was an attack against Israel, an attack against the Jewish community, but also an attack against the US itself.
“Many leaders worldwide, they condemn antisemitism, and they condemn hate crimes, but they don’t do enough to enforce it. We expect actions, not only declarations.”
In a statement on social media about the Washington DC shooting of two Israeli embassy staff, the Israeli minister of diaspora and combating antisemitism Amichai Chikli has claimed that French president Emmanuel Macron, UK prime minister Keir Starmer, and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney have “emboldened the forces of terror.”
Posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, Chikli said he was “shocked and heartbroken by the brutal murder”, and wanted to thank US president Donald Trump for “his swift and unequivocal condemnation of this heinous act.”
Chikli continued:
The terrorist reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” before opening fire. Let us be absolutely clear: “Free Palestine” is not a cry for liberty – it is a cry for murder. That was proven in blood today.
This slogan, parroted by activists, academics, and influencers, has become a banner not for peace but for hatred, violence, and the demonization of the Jewish state. Anyone who uses it now, in the wake of this attack, is not just echoing antisemitism – they are legitimizing the murder of Jews and Israelis.
We must also hold to account the irresponsible leaders in the West who give backing to this hatred – whether through appeasement, double standards, or silence. French president Emmanuel Macron, British prime minister Keir Starmer, and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney have all, in different ways, emboldened the forces of terror through their failure to draw moral red lines. This cowardice has a price – and that price is paid in Jewish blood.
On Monday Starmer, Macron and Carney released a joint statement in which they said they strongly opposed “the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza” and said “the level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.”
The statement described Israel’s decision to let in a limited amount of humanitarian aid as “wholly inadequate”, while calling on Hamas to release all of the remaining hostages that have been held since the 7 October attack in 2023. The surprise attack inside southern Israel killed over 1,000 people, with more than 50,000 Palestinians reported killed by Israel’s subsequent military assault on Hamas in Gaza.
Reuters has spoken to Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who was at the scene, and told the news agency that the two victims had attended his Washington synagogue occasionally. He said “It’s very sad to see that instead of these people coming to the ultimate celebration of their life - they were about to get engaged - they get shot dead in the street just because of who they are.”
Here is a transcript of part of the briefing earlier by Washington Metropolitian police chief Pamela Smith. She told the media:
At approximately 9.08pm tonight, we received multiple calls for a shooting in the area of 3rd St and F St NW. Officers located one adult male and one adult female, unconscious and not breathing at the scene. DC fire and EMS responded, and despite all life saving efforts, both victims succumbed to their injuries.
The preliminary investigation indicates that both victims were exiting an event at the Capitol Jewish Museum, located in the 500 block of 3rd St NW when the shooting occurred.
We believe the shooting was committed by a single suspect who is now in custody. Prior to the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people produced a handgun and opened fire, striking both of our decedents.
After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by event security. 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.
The suspect chanted “Free, free Palestine” while in custody. The suspect has been tentatively identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois.
Israeli embassy staff killed in Washington DC: what we know so far …
Two members of Israeli embassy staff have been killed by as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday night
Washington Metropolitan police chief Pamela Smith said a man shot at a group of four people with a handgun, hitting both the victims. He was seen pacing outside the museum prior to the shooting
The suspect has been tentatively identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, and authorities said he had no previous contact with the police. Smith claimed he shouted “Free, free Palestine” after being taken into custody
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the victim’s lives had been “cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer”
US president Donald Trump described the killings as “horrible” and “based obviously on antisemitism”, saying “hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA”
Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, told reporters the two victims were a young couple who were set to get engaged
Updated
Germany’s foreign minister has expressed shock at the killing of two members of staff from the Israeli embassy in Washington DC on Wednesday night, Reuters reports.
“Nothing can justify antisemitic violence. I am shocked by the dastardly murder of two employees of the Israeli embassy in #Washington,” Johann Wadephul wrote on social media.
Netanyahu blames shootings on 'wild incitement' against Israel
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “shocked by the horrific antisemitic murder” of the two Israeli embassy employees, his office has said in a post on X.
The statement said he had spoken with Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and US attorney general Pam Bondi. The statement added:
We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. The blood libels against Israel are rising in blood and must be fought to the bitter end.
He said security at embassies around the world and for Israeli representatives would be increased.
Updated
The Jewish Capital Museum has said in a statement that it is “deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening.”
CNN reports that the American Jewish Committee (AJC) was holding an event for young Jewish professionals on the night the shooting occurred.
The “Young Diplomats Reception”, which was sold-out, was described on its Eventbrite page as “our biggest event of the year, bringing together Jewish young professionals (ages 22–45) and the diplomatic community.”
It was organised by ACCESS, the AJC’s division for young professionals and the theme was “turning pain into purpose”.
Police chief Pamela A Smith earlier said the dead couple, Israeli embassy staff members, were leaving an event.
Police have named the alleged shooter as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago.
This map shows the location of the Capital Jewish Museum, and its proximity to the White House and the Capitol building:
Here are some images from the scene of the shooting:
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry says it is “horrified” by the double murder outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC, describing it as an apparent “act of antisemitic terror”.
In a statement, the council’s president Daniel Aghion and co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said:
“Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the dead, with the Israeli diplomatic corps and the American Jewish community. We hope justice is swift and decisive.”
US Speaker Mike Johnson on the shooting:
I’ve been informed of the tragic shooting that occurred outside of the Capitol Jewish Museum tonight in Washington D.C. We are monitoring the situation as more details become known and lifting up the victim’s families in our prayers.
The Associated Press has been talking to two people who were at the scene. It reports:
Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin said.
“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people?
Updated
The shooting comes as Israel’s allies have demanded it allow food and medical aid into Gaza, where it has killed and maimed tens of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its war on Hamas.
Late on Wednesday the UN said Israel had allowed in 90 aid trucks – some of the first since it imposed an extra tight blockade on the occupied territory since March but only a fraction of what is needed to prevent an imminent famine.
Israel has meanwhile kept up its daily attacks on schools, hospitals and shelters, killing and injuring scores of people. The military has also encircled and attacked two of northern Gaza’s last partially functioning hospitals, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities.
One hospital, al Awda, was shelled while an Associated Press journalist was on the phone to its director, the news wire reported on Wednesday.
The shooting also comes after the Israeli military fired what it called “warning shots” near a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, triggering global condemnation.
Updated
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “devastated” by the shooting in Washington, which he blamed on antisemitism.
“This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured. I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff.”
He added: “We stand with the Jewish community in DC and across the US. America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Attorney general Pam Bondi said she would be doing “everything in our power” to keep the community safe, especially the Jewish community.
The suspect “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” she told the press conference.
Updated
A bit more from police chief Pamela A Smith. She said that prior to the shooting the suspect had been observed pacing outside the museum. He then approached a group of four people and produced a hand gun before opening fire. He then “entered the museum and was detained by event security”.
When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” Smith said.
Updated
President Donald Trump has sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA”. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social he said:
These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!
Suspect in custody, police say
A suspect is in custody following the shooting, which took place shortly after 9pm near the Capital Jewish Museum, police have told a press conference.
Police chief Pamela A Smith said a preliminary investigation showed that both vicitms were exiting an event that had been taking place at the museum when the attack took place. The suspect in custody was believed to be the only person involved.
The mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, said there was no active shooter situation.
Updated
Israeli ambassador says victims were a couple
The Israeli ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, has said the pair who were shot were a couple about to be engaged. He said the man had bought a ring this week “with the intention of proposing next week in Jerusalem.”
Updated
Opening summary
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington have been shot and killed Wednesday evening near a Jewish museum, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said. Police have said a person is in custody.
Noem announced the deaths in a post on X after the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which is located steps away from the FBI’s field office in the nation’s capital.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the shooting a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
Police offered no details late Wednesday night on a potential motive for the shooting.
“We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,” Danon said in a post on X. “Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world.”
We will be following the developments live.
