'Senseless hate:' Local Jewish leaders react to murders of two young Israeli diplomats

Yahoo

23-05-2025

Describing it as an act of "senseless hate," former Palm Beach County congressman Ted Deutch condemned the May 21 killings of two young Israeli diplomats outside a Washington, D.C., event hosted by the organization he now leads.
Now the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, Deutch confirmed that Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum as they were leaving the AJC's Young Diplomats reception.
The Israeli foreign ministry said Lischinsky, 30, and Milgrim, 26, were locally employed staff members and, according to multiple published reports, the two had been involved in efforts to promote dialogue between young Israelis and Palestinians.
They were a couple and had planned to become engaged to be married in late May in Jerusalem.
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'Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,' Deutch, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2010 until 2022 and whose district included parts of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, said in a prepared statement.
'Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing, and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.'
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith identified the suspected shooter as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, and told reporters in Washington that Rodriguez had chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine," after security officers at the event took him into custody.
Deutch thanked President Donald Trump and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser for their swift action and support.
"While we wait for the conclusion of the police investigation — and urge all our friends and allies to do the same — it strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state, " he said. "This senseless hate and violence must stop."
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The incident also drew reactions from officials in Palm Beach County.
"I think as a community, we're all just absolutely heartbroken by the events that took place last night in Washington, D.C.," said Michael Hoffman, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.
"These are just two young people whose lives were senselessly taken away for no reason, other than the fact they were Jewish and that they worked for the Israeli embassy."
Hoffman said there was no indication that local synagogues or Jewish centers were at a heightened risk, but noted that the federation has an office of community security that works with local and federal law-enforcement agencies to assess potential threats.
"We're always trying to anticipate potential risks and threats against the Jewish community, and providing security that ensures that constituents of the Jewish community feel as though that they can attend synagogues or the Jewish community center … and feel that they are safe and secure and they can engage in a very vibrant Jewish experience," he said.
The Anti-Defamation League's annual audit of antisemitic incidents tracked a total of 9,354 incidents in the U.S. in 2024, the highest total since the organization began tracking incidents 46 ago. In Florida, Palm Beach County had the highest number of reported incidents last year despite seeing a decrease from the number of cases reported in 2023.
The county had 51 incidents in 2024, down from 83 the previous year, the ADL's Florida chapter reported.
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at [e-mail] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida Jewish leaders decry deaths of two Israeli diplomats