Latest news with #JewishFederationofGreaterWashington
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Something horrific like this was eventually going to happen': DC's Jewish community reels from Israeli Embassy staffers' killings
Washington's Jewish cultural and religious centers are emphasizing the need for security following the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers — but say they will not be cowed by acts of violence. The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot dead outside of the Capital Jewish Museum after an event at the venue on Wednesday night, sent shock waves through Jewish communities around the world. But mixed in with the shock of Wednesday night's tragedy was also a sense of inevitability, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss said. 'Part of this is like people knew that something horrific like this was eventually going to happen' after other instances of antisemitic violence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California in recent years, Preuss said. Wednesday's shooting follows other recent attacks that have been condemned as antisemitic violence, including the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, being set ablaze last month. But for the Jewish community in Washington, Wednesday's killings hit closer to home. The attack was deeply personal to the local community, Preuss said, as the young couple was involved in numerous D.C.-wide activities. Milgrim, in particular, was heavily embedded in D.C. life, after graduating with a masters in international affairs from American University in 2023. Community members are reeling from the loss of their friends and contending with the 'disbelief that something like this happened in our own community, and to people who we know,' Preuss said. He added that sometimes he feels people 'don't take seriously' safety concerns raised by the Jewish community, despite the pattern of antisemitic attacks. Concerns about the rise of rhetoric like 'globalized intifada,' Preuss said, are often brushed off as 'just language.' 'But what we saw last night was an enactment of globalized intifada, of people attacking the Jewish community — people who were leaving an event that was about bridge-building and peace and how do we solve problems in the Middle East,' he said, noting that the museum hosting the event is also currently showing an exhibit spotlighting the local LGBTQ+ community in D.C. The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023. Backlash has grown in the U.S. and globally against Israel's intensifying military campaign in Gaza, and many Jewish advocacy organizations simultaneously warn of rising antisemitism. Elias Rodriguez, who was 'tentatively' identified by law enforcement as the suspect, chanted 'free, free Palestine,' while in custody, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said during a press briefing Wednesday. Preuss said D.C. officials "dramatically increased security" around the city's Jewish organizations Thursday morning, and called for increased vigilance, though he noted that upping security practices "doesn't guarantee that it won't happen." "We do need to look at physical security and how to put all the precautions in place to make sure that someone who's thinking about committing a horrendous act thinks twice," he said. "The second thing is training of people to keep their eyes out to be aware of a suspicious person, to report things, to know what to do and how to react." The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on if there are broader plans to bolster security for Jewish institutions in the city. There have been other high-profile attacks on American Jews. Just last month, a suspect set the official residence for Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor and one of the most prominent Jewish American politicians, ablaze while he and his family were inside. The suspect said Shapiro 'needs to know that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'' The Washington Hebrew Congregation, a hub of Jewish spiritual life in the capital, said in a statement that Wednesday's shooting was 'a tragic reminder of the importance of consistently reassessing the security policies and protocols we have in place and evaluating whether there are changes we can make to enhance our security posture.' The congregation, which said it had just created a director of safety and security position last year in response to rising reports of antisemitism nationwide, also noted that 'the threats we face today are the same threats we faced yesterday before last night's horrific shooting and the same threats we will continue to face into the future.' Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called the shooting a 'senseless act of political violence' on Fox News Thursday morning. 'It was clearly a shooting simply because they were Jewish and because they were Israeli,' Halber said, adding that despite the violence, the Jewish community 'cannot and will not and doesn't want to put themselves in a sealed bubble,' but will instead 'continue to live proud, strong Jewish lives openly and publicly.' But that determination is not without the need for heightened security protections. 'What is needed right now is for the federal government to step up and to not haggle and pass a large bill providing billions of dollars to institutions that are at threat,' to increase security hiring and widen protections around Jewish cultural and religious centers, Halber said.
Politico
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
‘Something horrific like this was eventually going to happen': DC's Jewish community reels from Israeli Embassy staffers' killings
Washington's Jewish cultural and religious centers are emphasizing the need for security following the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers — but say they will not be cowed by acts of violence. The killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot dead outside of the Capital Jewish Museum after an event at the venue on Wednesday night, sent shock waves through Jewish communities around the world. But mixed in with the shock of Wednesday night's tragedy was also a sense of inevitability, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss said. 'Part of this is like people knew that something horrific like this was eventually going to happen' after other instances of antisemitic violence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and California in recent years, Preuss said. Wednesday's shooting follows other recent attacks that have been condemned as antisemitic violence, including the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, being set ablaze last month. But for the Jewish community in Washington, Wednesday's killings hit closer to home. The attack was deeply personal to the local community, Preuss said, as the young couple was involved in numerous D.C.-wide activities. Milgrim, in particular, was heavily embedded in D.C. life, after graduating with a masters in international affairs from American University in 2023. Community members are reeling from the loss of their friends and contending with the 'disbelief that something like this happened in our own community, and to people who we know,' Preuss said. He added that sometimes he feels people 'don't take seriously' safety concerns raised by the Jewish community, despite the pattern of antisemitic attacks. Concerns about the rise of rhetoric like 'globalized intifada,' Preuss said, are often brushed off as 'just language.' 'But what we saw last night was an enactment of globalized intifada, of people attacking the Jewish community — people who were leaving an event that was about bridge-building and peace and how do we solve problems in the Middle East,' he said, noting that the museum hosting the event is also currently showing an exhibit spotlighting the local LGBTQ+ community in D.C. The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following the Hamas terror attack on Israel in October 2023. Backlash has grown in the U.S. and globally against Israel's intensifying military campaign in Gaza, and many Jewish advocacy organizations simultaneously warn of rising antisemitism. Elias Rodriguez, who was 'tentatively' identified by law enforcement as the suspect, chanted 'free, free Palestine,' while in custody, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said during a press briefing Wednesday. Preuss said D.C. officials 'dramatically increased security' around the city's Jewish organizations Thursday morning, and called for increased vigilance, though he noted that upping security practices 'doesn't guarantee that it won't happen.' 'We do need to look at physical security and how to put all the precautions in place to make sure that someone who's thinking about committing a horrendous act thinks twice,' he said. 'The second thing is training of people to keep their eyes out to be aware of a suspicious person, to report things, to know what to do and how to react.' The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on if there are broader plans to bolster security for Jewish institutions in the city. There have been other high-profile attacks on American Jews. Just last month, a suspect set the official residence for Shapiro, the Pennsylvania governor and one of the most prominent Jewish American politicians, ablaze while he and his family were inside. The suspect said Shapiro 'needs to know that he 'will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.'' The Washington Hebrew Congregation, a hub of Jewish spiritual life in the capital, said in a statement that Wednesday's shooting was 'a tragic reminder of the importance of consistently reassessing the security policies and protocols we have in place and evaluating whether there are changes we can make to enhance our security posture.' The congregation, which said it had just created a director of safety and security position last year in response to rising reports of antisemitism nationwide, also noted that 'the threats we face today are the same threats we faced yesterday before last night's horrific shooting and the same threats we will continue to face into the future.' Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, called the shooting a 'senseless act of political violence' on Fox News Thursday morning. 'It was clearly a shooting simply because they were Jewish and because they were Israeli,' Halber said, adding that despite the violence, the Jewish community 'cannot and will not and doesn't want to put themselves in a sealed bubble,' but will instead 'continue to live proud, strong Jewish lives openly and publicly.' But that determination is not without the need for heightened security protections. 'What is needed right now is for the federal government to step up and to not haggle and pass a large bill providing billions of dollars to institutions that are at threat,' to increase security hiring and widen protections around Jewish cultural and religious centers, Halber said.
France 24
22-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Two employees of Israeli embassy shot and killed in Washington, DC
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum in the nation's capital, and the suspect yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said. The two victims, a man and a woman, were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security, Smith said. When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, 'Free, free Palestine,' Smith said. Smith said law enforcement did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the U.S. attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the case. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday. "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!' Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was 'devastated' by the scenes in Washington. '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.' 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? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington said in a statement that they are horrified by the shooting and 'mourn the loss of the two individuals killed in the attack.' 'Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence,' the federation said.
