WASHINGTON: Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot dead at a Jewish museum in Washington by a gunman who shouted “free Palestine” as he was arrested, sparking new international tensions over anti-Semitism.

The killings took place just outside the Capital Jewish Museum, a mile from the White House, late on Wednesday as it held an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff.

Israel identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US employee of the embassy, and said they were a couple who had been hoping to marry. Police said they detained the shooter, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, from Chicago, at the scene.

US President Donald Trump had a “productive discussion” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about Iran and the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, the White House said.

“They discussed many things, including the, of course, the tragic shooting that took place here in Washington, DC last night,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Israel’s foreign minister blames European governments for the murder

Video footage showed the bearded man in a jacket and white shirt shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was led away. The attack came days after the museum was awarded a grant to boost security, as anti-Semitism surges worldwide in the wake of Israel’s devastating invasion of Gaza.

The targeted event was an annual reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community. Lischinsky was a research assistant at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim worked for its public diplomacy department, according to their LinkedIn profiles.

Tensions are high in the United States and in many other countries over the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza. Britain and France — who have stepped up their condemnation in recent days of Israel’s actions — were among those condemning the shooting, as well as Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

But Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, put blame on European governments, claiming there was “a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.”

“This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially from Europe,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2025