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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Suspect in murder of Israeli Embassy couple linked to organization that called Oct. 7 attack 'legitimate'
The man who allegedly killed two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum last Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., was linked to the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which praised the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack in the hours after it happened. Elias Rodriguez, 31, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, and several firearm-related counts. The Department of Justice is weighing whether it will invoke the death penalty in the case. Rodriguez flew from Chicago, Illinois, where he lives, to allegedly carry out the shooting. The shooting happened during an American Jewish Committee event the night of May 21, which brought Jewish professionals and members of the diplomatic community together. Yaron Lischinsky, 31, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, both died after the shooting. Lischinsky and Milgrim were engaged. Both individuals were employed by the Israeli Embassy. Suspect Accused Of Killing Israeli Embassy Staffers In Dc Could Face More Charges Following the shooting, the Party for Socialism and Liberation said in a post on X that Rodriguez had a "brief" affiliation with the association that ended in 2017. Read On The Fox News App "We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL. 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," the group said. "We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it." The group believes "the only solution to the deepening crisis of capitalism is the socialist transformation of society." "Driven by an insatiable appetite for ever greater profits regardless of social cost, capitalism is on a collision course with the people of the world and the planet itself. Imperialist war; deepening unemployment and poverty; deteriorating health care, housing and education; racism; discrimination and violence based on gender and sexual orientation; environmental destruction—all are inevitable products of the capitalist system itself," its website states. In an article in the Party for Socialism and Liberation's official newspaper that has since been deleted, Elias Rodriguez was identified as a member of the organization when talking about Amazon's Seattle, Washington, presence. "The wealth that Amazon has brought to Seattle has not been shared with its Black residents," Rodriguez said. "[Amazon's] whitening of Seattle is structurally racist and a direct danger to all workers who live in that city. 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 edges of the city and society living in deeper and deeper poverty?" Israeli Ambassador Connects Embassy Staffers' Slaying To 'Very Important' Bigger Picture In the hours after the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel, the group posted to X, saying that resistance "is not a crime!" "Resistance to apartheid and fascist-type oppression is not a crime! It is the inevitable outcome for all people who demand self-determination rather than living with the boot-heel of the oppressors on their necks," the group said. The group went on to say that the Oct. 7, 2023 attack "is a morally and legally legitimate response to occupation." In a separate X post on Oct. 8, 2023, the group said, "Palestinian resistance is not terrorism! It is a basic fact of history that any people subjected to occupation will resist that occupation." According to the Anti-Defamation League, speakers at rallies held by the Party for Socialism and Liberation after Oct. 7, 2023 praised Hamas and the attack. "We saw last weekend, the only recourse the Palestinians have left, which is armed resistance, and again, that is their right under international law," one speaker said at an Oct. 14, 2023 protest in Tampa, Florida. At an Oct. 8, 2023 protest in Anaheim, California, one person celebrated this "moment where Hamas is taking control, they're resisting." A spokesperson for StandWithUs, an Israel education organization, told Fox News Digital that the Party for Socialism and Liberation should be investigated. "PSL celebrated the atrocities on October 7 as 'courageous' and 'bold.' They held a rally where a speaker mocked the Nova Festival massacre. Despite their efforts to distance themselves from the murder of Yaron and Sarah, they should be thoroughly investigated," the group said. Former homicide detective and Fox News contributor Ted Williams told Fox News Digital he thinks the incident is a "wake-up call" for law enforcement. "I think law enforcement clearly needs to be far, far more involved in rooting out all these antisemitic groups, sort of like the one that Rodriguez is alleged to have been a part or involved with," Williams said. "The problem is there's not a lot of law enforcement officers to go around, unfortunately, to take on these assignments to infiltrate these groups and to try to weed out individuals like Rodriguez." Fox News Digital reached out to the Party for Socialism and Liberation for comment. Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this article source: Suspect in murder of Israeli Embassy couple linked to organization that called Oct. 7 attack 'legitimate'
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Israeli diplomat shooter had links to Neville Singham funded radical anti-Israel groups
The suspected terrorist charged with gunning down two Israeli embassy workers in Washington Wednesday is associated with radical socialist groups funded by the far-left Chinese sympathizer, millionaire Neville Singham and his activist wife Jodie Evans. Elias Rodriguez, 31, who allegedly confessed to killing the couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum and chanted 'free, free Palestine!' was part of that network through his association with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Communist political organization that has fielded presidential candidates since 2008. In 2018, Rodriguez also raised $240 in a GoFundMe campaign to join the March to Fight Poverty in Washington DC and took part in demonstrations and protests around Chicago as a member of the ANSWER coalition around 2017 and 2018, another radical socialist group, according to the Anti-Defamation League. 6 Alleged DC shooter Elias Rodriguez was once affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which backed its own candidates for US president since 2008. Katie Kalisher via Storyful Both the PSL and ANSWER Coalition are connected to People's Forum – a Manhattan-based non-profit which has ties to the Chinese Communist Party – through funding from Singham, 71. All three groups have been involved in anti-Israel protests, with the People's Forum having a cadre of operatives embedded at Columbia University — an epicenter of protest — according to previous reports. The People's Forum received more than $20 million in grants from Singham, much of it filtered through the Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, a fiscal sponsor, as The Post has previously reported. Another group, the Bronx Antiwar Coalition is also connected to groups in Singham's orbit. The Bronx group applauded the murders of the Israeli diplomats on X Thursday. 'What Elias Rodriguez did is the highest expression of anti-Zionism,' a tweet from the group proclaimed. 6 Jodie Evans (L) and husband Neville Singham pictured at a 20th anniversary celebration of 'The Vagina Monologues' in 2018. Getty Images for V-Day The Bronx Anti-War Coalition was founded by Dee Knight, a radical socialist and pro-China activist, who has worked with People's Forum, according to reports. Knight's latest book, 'Befriending China: People to People Peacemaking,' garnered advance praise from Evans, 70, who lobbies for closer relations with China. 'He reveals in so many ways that China is not our enemy, but has an abundance to share with us,' wrote Evans, who has written her own book about embracing China in conjunction with Tricontental Insitute for Social Research, a Marxist think tank center funded by her husband and the Communist Party of China (CCP), according to the Network Contagion Research Institute. The research center employs Singham's son, Nate Singham, as a researcher, according to a report from the National Contagion Research Institute, a New Jersey-based think tank. 'The People's Forum… and ANSWER Coalition serve as the conduit through which CCP-affiliated entities have effectively co-opted pro-Palestinian activism in the US, advancing a broader anti-American, anti-democratic, and anti-capitalist agenda,' according to NCRI's 2024 report, 'Contagious Disruption: How CCP Influence and Radical Ideologies Threaten Critical Infrastructure and Campuses Across the United States.' Donations to the radical groups are filtered through Progress Unity Fund, a radical-left fiscal sponsor, according to public records. 6 Former presidential candidate Claudia de la Cruz stands at a lectern draped with a PSL flag. Getty Images 6 Abigail Disney, Jodie Evans and Neville Singham in 2016. WireImage Singham, who is now believed to be based in Shanghai, is married to activist Jodi Evans, founder of Code Pink, a women's anti-war group which has also taken a pro-China stance in recent years. Born in Chicago, Singham is former chair of ThoughtWorks, an IT consulting company which he sold for a reported $785 million in 2017. He is a socialist and Maoist, who was a former member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, a Maoist group, according to sources. He did not respond to The Post's request for comment, but previously told the New York Times: 'I categorically deny and repudiate any suggestion that I am a member of, work for, take orders from, or follow instructions of any political party or government or their representatives. 'I am solely guided by my beliefs, which are my long-held personal views.' On the GoFundMe page for the March to Fight Poverty, Rodriguez had said he was joining to protest US involvement in foreign wars after his father, a National Guardsman, was sent to Iraq when Rodriguez was 11 years old. When his father returned, Rodriguez was angry he had brought back a small Iraqi flag he ripped off a dead Iraqi's uniform. 6 The Party for Socialism and Liberalism has close ties to the People's Forum, a radical non-profit that organized anti-Israel demonstrations in Manhattan a day after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. AFP via Getty Images 6 Suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez is charged with shooting two workers from the Israeli embassy at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. REUTERS 'I don't want to see another generation of Americans coming home from genocidal imperialist wars with trophies,' he wrote at the time. Meanwhile, the PSL tried to distance themselves from Rodriguez Thursday, saying his 'brief association' with a branch had ended in 2017. 'We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL,' the group told The Post Thursday. 'We know of no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.' Claudia de la Cruz, a Bronx-born socialist activist, is listed as the first president of People's Forum in 2017 and ran for president of the USA on the Party for Socialism and Liberation's ticket in 2024. De La Cruz, who raised nearly $400,000 during her presidential run, stepped down from the top position at the non-profit in 2023, according to federal filings. Ben Becker, a founding member of the party, is listed as a board member of Breakthrough Media, a non-profit affiliated with People's Forum which also shares its Midtown address, according to public records. De La Cruz is also listed as a board member of the media group on its federal filings for 2023.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Suspect in Israeli embassy shooting in US was critic of Gaza war
In the years before he was accused of killing two Israeli Embassy employees, the suspect in the fatal shootings was an active participant in Chicago's left-wing protest scene, speaking out against police violence and a proposed Amazon headquarters. Then the war in Gaza ignited his fury into violence. Elias Rodriguez, 31, was charged Thursday with the murder of foreign officials and other crimes in connection with the deaths of Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, an American, as they left an event at a Jewish museum. The couple had plans to become engaged. He told police after his arrest, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' according to court filings. Rodriguez lived in a modest 850-square-foot apartment on Chicago's north side and worked as an administrative assistant at a medical trade group. He had no apparent criminal record. In his activism, he protested police violence against minorities and the power of corporations. His online posts had recently become fixated on the war in Gaza, calling for retaliation against Israel. In the window of his apartment hung a photo of Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in a 2023 stabbing in Chicago shortly after the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in Israel. A neighbor, John Wayne Fray, described Rodriguez as 'quiet and friendly.' 'He seemed like a normal, friendly guy,' Fry told reporters Thursday, standing near yellow crime-scene tape left by law enforcement officers who searched the suspect's apartment. He said Rodriguez and a woman who lived with him appeared to be 'very sensitive people, especially about the issue of Palestine.' An October 2017 article in Liberation, the online newspaper for the Party for Socialism and Liberation, quoted Rodriguez as a member of the group participating in a protest outside the Chicago home of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel over the police shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald and the city's bid to be the site for a new Amazon headquarters. A photo of a man holding a protest sign published with the article appeared to match photos of Rodriguez posted on social media. The organization denied Thursday that Rodriguez was an active member, though it acknowledged a 'brief association' in the past. The group also scrubbed the 2017 article identifying Rodriguez as a member from its website. 'We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting,' the group said in a statement. 'We know of no contact with (Rodriguez) in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.' As recently as this week, the group's X feed posted pro-Palestinian statements calling for an end to the war in Gaza and characterizing Israel's attacks on Palestinians as genocide. Family members of Rodriguez and his defense attorney, Elizabeth Mullin, did not return messages seeking comment. The FBI did not respond to questions about whether he was on the bureau's radar before the shooting. A GoFundMe page from 2017 sought to raise money to pay Rodriguez's way to People's Congress of Resistance, an event in Washington that September to 'fight the Trump agenda and the Congress of millionaires!' As part of the appeal, Rodriguez recounted his father's military service in the Iraq War. 'When my dad came home from Baghdad, he came with souvenirs,' Rodriguez was quoted as saying. 'One was a magazine pouch with a warning in Arabic to back away or my dad would shoot and kill you. ... He also gave me a patch of Iraq's national flag, one he ripped off of an Iraqi soldier's uniform because he could. I don't want to see another generation of Americans coming home from genocidal imperialist wars with trophies.' The effort raised $240. Social media accounts tied to Rodriguez suggest he had become increasingly focused over the last two years on the Israeli bombing campaign and ground invasion in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children. An account on X that used a variation of a screen name Rodriguez had used on other sites, along with his given name and photo, frequently featured pro-Palestinian posts, including a video from an October 2023 protest in downtown Chicago against U.S. aid to Israel. Last October, the account also reposted two videos of speeches by Hassan Nasrallah, a Lebanese cleric and a former leader of Islamic militant group Hezbollah. Nasrallah had been killed two weeks earlier in an Israeli airstrike. Less than an hour after the shooting in Washington on Thursday night, the X account posted, 'Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,' along with screen grabs of a nearly 1,000-word essay signed with Rodriguez's name. It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez, who was in police custody at the time, had used a feature on X to schedule the release of the post in advance or if another person might have had access to the account. In the piece, Rodriguez railed against the mounting death toll in Gaza, saying Israel 'had obliterated the capacity to even continue counting the dead, which has served its genocide well.' About 11 years ago, he wrote, he 'personally became acutely aware of our brutal conduct in Palestine.' He sought to justify what he called 'the morality of armed demonstration,' adding 'those of us against the genocide take satisfaction in arguing that the perpetrators and abettors have forfeited their humanity.' 'The atrocities committed by Israelis against Palestine defy description and defy quantification,' he wrote. 'We who let this happen will never deserve the Palestinians' forgiveness.' Rodriguez also invoked the death last year of Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force who he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington while declaring that he 'will no longer be complicit in genocide.' Bushnell's sacrifice, he wrote, was 'not made in vain.' Court records say Rodriguez made similar remarks about Bushnell after he was taken into custody, describing the man as 'courageous' and a 'martyr.' At the end of the screed, Rodrigez expressed his love for his parents, his younger sister and the 'rest of my familia.' He signed off with 'Free Palestine' and the emoji for the Palestinian flag. Rodriguez's employer, the American Osteopathic Information Association, issued a statement Thursday expressing shock and saying it would cooperate with investigators. 'As a physician organization dedicated to protecting the health and sanctity of human life, we believe in the rights of all persons to live safely without fear of violence,' the group said.
Memri
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Anti-U.S. Extremist Party For Socialism And Liberation, Linked To DC Jewish Event Shooter, Celebrates Hamas Attacks In NYC On October 8, 2023: The United States Of America Is The Terrorist! We Feel Th
Leaders of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) celebrated the October 7 Hamas attacks during a rally held in New York City on October 8, 2023. Claudia De La Cruz, the PSL's 2024 presidential candidate, declared that the United States 'is the terrorist,' adding: 'We feel the Palestinian blood, and we stand in solidarity with Palestine.' Eugene Puryear, one of the co-founders of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, 2008 vice presidential candidate for the party, and host a show on BreakThrough News along with Rania Khalek, he celebrated Hamas invading Israel on October 7, invading the Nova festival on hang-gliders, and taking dozens of 'hipsters' hostage. Other speakers at the rally were Manolo De Los Santos, executive director of the People's Forum as well as Layan Fuleihan, the education director of the People's Forum, along with unnamed activists with the Palestinian Youth Movement. On May 21, 2025, Elias Rodriguez, who has been linked to the Party for Socialism and Liberation, was arrested by authorities for killing two people at an American Jewish Committee event outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. On X, the Party for Socialism and Liberation claimed Rogriguez was only a member for a brief time. Claudia De la Cruz: "Who is the terrorist? The United States of America! [...] "We feel the Palestinian blood and we stand in solidarity with Palestine. [...] "We have the historic responsibility of defeating Israel colonialism and U.S. imperialism!" [...] Eugene Puryear: "I have to say, I went to Wikipedia, this morning to look at the map of where the resistance is, and as of this morning, they've liberated an area that is actually larger than the Gaza Strip. [...] "As you might have seen, there was sort of rave or desert party where they were having a great time, until the resistance came in electrified hang-gliders and took at least several dozen hipsters. [...] "But just less than 24 hours ago, on the land, from the sea, from the air, the people of Gaza Strip broke out of the open-air prison!"
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First Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Who is Elias Rodriguez, the man accused of killing Israel embassy staffers in Washington shooting?
Elias Rodriguez, 31, has been accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a couple who were about to get engaged. About an hour after the shooting, a document believed to be linked to Rodriguez surfaced on social media. Titled 'Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home', the post accused Israel of killing tens of thousands of Palestinians since the Hamas attacks in October 2023. It also referenced 'armed' action and attempted to justify it morally read more Two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, a young couple soon to be engaged, were shot and killed on Wednesday evening by a man from Chicago who shouted 'Free, free Palestine' after being taken into custody. Elias Rodriguez, 31, has been accused of opening fire on a group of people as they were leaving an event for young professionals and diplomats. The gathering was organised by the American Jewish Committee, a group that works against antisemitism and supports Israel. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The victims were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26. The couple was planning to get engaged . ALSO READ | How 14,000 babies in Gaza are at the risk of dying in 48 hours if Israel aid block continues Now, a document believed to belong to Rodriguez appeared on social media about an hour after the shooting. In this explainer, we look at who Elias Rodriguez is, what the document and his social media activity show, and what took place on the night of the shooting. Let's take a look: Who is Elias Rodriguez? Rodriguez has been charged with the murder of foreign officials along with other offences. During a brief court appearance, he did not enter a plea. Prosecutors have said more charges could be added as the case is still under investigation. Authorities are looking into whether the attack was a hate crime targeting the Jewish community and if it amounts to terrorism. Rodriguez has been active with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and has also been involved in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, according to reports. Back in 2017, he took part in a protest outside the home of then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. It was led by groups including the People's Congress of Resistance, ANSWER Chicago, and Black Lives Matter Women of Faith. After the shooting, Rodriguez went inside a museum nearby and admitted to the act. By the time he was arrested, he was no longer armed, the affidavit states. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,' he reportedly said. Footage showing 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez yelling 'Free Palestine' while being taken into custody by D.C. Metro Police, after shooting and killing two staffers of the Israeli Embassy outside of the Capital Jewish Museum tonight in Washington, D.C. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 22, 2025 Rodriguez also told police that he looked up to a US Air Force service member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024. He referred to the man as 'courageous' and a 'martyr,' according to court documents. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An FBI affidavit claims that the attack was planned in advance. Rodriguez is said to have flown from Chicago to Washington on Tuesday, bringing a handgun in his checked luggage. He also bought a ticket for the event about three hours before it began. Rodriguez was born and raised in Chicago. He graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in English. What Rodriguez's alleged manifesto and social media profile reveal FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media that investigators are 'aware of certain writings allegedly authored by the suspect' and are working to confirm whether they are genuine. His remarks seem to refer to a manifesto signed with Elias Rodriguez's name, which was posted on an anonymous X account shortly before the shooting on Wednesday. The post, titled 'Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,' accused Israel of killing tens of thousands of Palestinians since the Hamas attacks in October 2023. It also discussed the idea of 'armed' action and its moral justification. Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. 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… — Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) May 22, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The manifesto began, 'In the wake of an act people look for a text to fix its meaning so here's an attempt. 'The atrocities committed by Israelis against Palestine defy description and defy quantification.' It claimed that Rodriguez believed many Americans would now see his actions as 'highly legible' and even rational. The message ended with the words, 'Free Palestine - Elias Rodriguez.' Alongside this, a LinkedIn profile that appeared to be his stated that he had been working as an administrative specialist since July. His earlier roles included production and logistics coordinator and oral history researcher for HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organisation that works to preserve African American history. Firstpost has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the profile. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened during the shooting? The shocking attack led Israeli missions around the world to tighten security and lower their flags to half-mast. The shooting took place at a time when Israel is carrying out a major operation in Gaza in its war with Hamas, a conflict that has raised tensions across the Middle East and globally. US law enforcement had already warned that such events could lead to violence within the country. The victims were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli national, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. According to Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, the couple were soon to be engaged. The couple was planning to get engaged. Reuters/File Photo Friends and colleagues remembered them on Thursday as warm and curious individuals, committed to peace and to building understanding across cultures and faiths. The couple were walking out of the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and began shooting. Witnesses said he had been pacing nearby and acting strangely beforehand. Surveillance footage showed Elias Rodriguez moving in on the two victims after they had fallen, leaning over and firing again. He appeared to reload his weapon before running away, according to the FBI. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Thursday that he was 'shocked' by what he called a 'horrific, antisemitic' attack. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said. Former US President Donald Trump also condemned the killings. 'These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' he posted on Truth Social. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' With inputs from agencies
