Elias Rodriguez: Far-Left, Anti-Israel Bronx Activist Group Sparks Outrage after Cheering Capital Jewish Museum Shooter for Killing Israeli Diplomats

International Business Times

23-05-2025

A radical, anti-Israel group based in the Bronx sparked outrage by disgustingly cheering the suspected attacker who allegedly shot two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in DC, in what is being called an antisemitic assault.
In two social media posts on Thursday, the Bronx Anti-War group praised the accused gunman, Elias Rodriguez, claiming what he "did is the highest expression of anti-Zionism" and "We need more Elias Rodriguez in this world." The shocking statements were immediately condemned by Bronx Congressman Ritchie Torres. Rodriguez, a pro-Palestine with links to a radical left-wing group shot dead Israeli diplomats Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim on Wednesday night before being arrested.
In Poor Taste
"The Bronx Anti-War coalition, which has been harassing me since October 7th, has described the murderous targeting of Jews as 'the highest expression of anti-Zionism,'" Torres said in a statement, slamming the posts made by Bronx Anti-War group.
"Violence is not a bug but a feature of virulent Anti-Zionism."
Elias Rodriguez, 31, has been charged with fatal shooting Sarah Milgrim and her boyfriend Yaron Lischinsky, which took place around 9 p.m. on Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
The coalition, identified as a Bronx-based group, comprises working-class people, primarily led by people of color, who describe themselves as anti-imperialist. Their mission includes opposing state violence and promoting decolonization efforts.
On its website, the group clearly mentions that it supports the "right to resist colonial imperialism by any means necessary, including armed struggle."
The group, which has around 3,400 followers on X, 200 on Facebook, and an inactive Instagram account, also called for the elimination of Israel.
Rodriguez, who had traveled from Chicago, is accused of firing close to 20 rounds at Milgrim and Lischinsky, continuing to shoot even after the two fell to the ground, according to court records.
Milgrim reportedly tried to crawl away in a desperate effort to survive.
Shocking Details Emerge
Rodriguez admitted to killing the couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night after his arrest. The suspect was reportedly shouting, "Free, free Palestine," during the shooting and also at the time of his arrest, according to police.
As authorities continued to search for a motive behind the brutal antisemitic attack, new details were emerging about Rodriguez's background as an anti-Israel activist. A video has emerged that appears to show Rodriguez apparently shouting pro-Palestine chants while being arrested.
Rodriguez was once linked to the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a far-left group known for frequently sharing anti-Israel content on its social media platforms. "End the genocide. Israel out of Gaza now," the group posted on Wednesday — a few hours before the DC shooting.
"We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL," the group said in an X post early Thursday.
"He had a brief association with one branch of the PSL that ended in 2017. We know of no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it."
In a now-deleted article from the group's Liberation news site, Rodriguez was identified as a member who took part in a 2017 Black Lives Matter demonstration outside the residence of then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The protest marked the anniversary of the death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager shot dead by a Chicago police officer.
During the rally, Rodriguez slammed Amazon, accusing the company of failing to distribute its wealth to Black communities. "[Amazon's] whitening of Seattle is structurally racist and a direct danger to all workers who live in that city," he was quoted as saying.
"So do we in Chicago and all across the country want a nation of cities dominated and occupied by massive corporations where only the rich and white can live and the vast majority of us must live on the edges of the city and society living in deeper and deeper poverty?"
Rodriguez earlier worked as an oral history researcher at The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organization focused on preserving African American history, according to his LinkedIn bio.
His biography on the organization's website, which was taken down after the shooting, mentioned that he earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago.