Latest news with #WashingtonMetropolitanPolice
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Diplomats in Canada feel safe but 'vigilant' after U.S. shootings: Israeli ambassador
OTTAWA — Israel's ambassador in Canada said the country's diplomatic team in Ottawa feels safe but must remain "vigilant" after a shooting killed two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. Iddo Moed said in an interview Thursday the embassy is "shocked and devastated" by what happened. "We have to be aware that risks nowadays are greater than ever before," Moed said, noting the steep rise in antisemitism and acts of hatred and violence targeting Jews around the world, including in Canada. "We have to do whatever we can to try and stop this violent expression of hatred that is out there … We all have to do whatever we can to stop those who are out there to harm others." Canadian politicians and Jewish groups expressed horror and outrage at the shooting which killed Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and American citizen Sarah Milgrim. The young couple were shot as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith told a news conference Thursday that the suspect was seen pacing outside the museum before he approached a group of four people and opened fire. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he is "devastated and appalled" by the killings, calling it a targeted attack on the Jewish community and condemning it "in the strongest terms." "My prayers are with Yaron and Sarah, their grieving loved ones, and the entire Jewish community," he said in a post on social media. In her own social media post, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said antisemitism and the "violence and fear it brings are beyond deplorable and must stop." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Lischinsky and Milgrim "had lives of promise" that were cut short when they were "targeted and killed, simply because they were Jewish." "Antisemitism is the world's most enduring form of hatred. We see it rear its ugly head close to home here in Canada as well, with violence, vandalism, and intimidation in our communities," he said on social media. "We must speak the truth, stand with the Jewish community, and unite to erase this hatred from Canada and the entire world." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Thursday he was shocked by the attack. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a media statement. Several police forces said they had increased patrols following the shooting. York Regional Police north of Toronto said they'll be increasing their presence around synagogues and other places of worship, as well as at schools and community centres. "There is no immediate threat to our region and these patrols are in place to support all members of our community," police said. Toronto Police said they will have a "visible presence" across the city. Police also said they'll be present at Sunday's Walk with Israel event in Toronto and that "anyone who attempts to incite violence or target others based on race, religion, or any other factor will face immediate and decisive action. "Acts of hate will not be tolerated." Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said on social media the killings were "a horrible attack of hatred and antisemitism." "I, together with all of my Embassy of Canada colleagues, offer our deep and sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victims. Canada condemns antisemitism in all its forms." Advocacy organization B'nai Brith Canada said in a statement the shooting is "what happens when hate is allowed to flourish." "This wasn't just an attack on two innocent people. It was the bloody consequence of a culture that has normalized antisemitic hatred under the banner of activism," the group said in a media statement. "Canada's leaders must act — not with statements, but with consequences — against those who incite, radicalize, and poison our public spaces with hate." Liberal MP Ben Carr said on social media the killings Wednesday demonstrate "why added security measures are needed to protect religious minorities at a time of intensified hate — particularly against the Jewish community which is overwhelmingly and disproportionately the target of hate crimes in Canada." — With files from The Associated Press, Jordan Omstead in Toronto and David Baxter in Ottawa This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli embassy staffers were likely "targeted" by alleged shooter who yelled "free Palestine"
Two employees of the Israeli embassy were shot and killed in Washington, D.C. Wednesday evening as they were leaving an event at a Jewish museum. The suspect, who yelled "free, free Palestine" during his arrest, according to police and video from the scene, was quickly taken into custody. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference that a man opened fire on a group of four people outside the Capital Jewish Museum, hitting the pair. The victims, locally employed staff who the Israeli foreign ministry said were working to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. The lone gunman, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, was seen pacing outside the museum ahead of the shooting and walked into the museum afterward, where event security detained him, Smith told reporters at a news conference. "Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense," she said, per Reuters, adding that Rodriguez had no prior contact with police. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said on X that local police and the FBI were interviewing the suspect, noting that early indicators point to the shooting being "an act of targeted violence." "Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads," he said. The fatal shooting comes amid heightened tensions over Israel's war in Gaza, as the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues its bombardment of the territory and blockade of aid with the United States' unconditional support, and faces increased condemnation on the global stage. Since Israel's 1.5-year-long offensive in Gaza started following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, rights groups have seen a notable uptick in antisemitism and anti-Arab hate in the U.S. With President Donald Trump's battle with higher education escalating — hinging access to federal funding, in part, on universities agreeing to stifle student protests — the shooting is also likely to increase scrutiny of pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses across the nation. Two immigrant student protesters made headlines earlier this year after Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested and detained them. The president condemned the shooting early Thursday. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' Trump posted on social media. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' Netanyahu said Thursday that he was "shocked" by the "horrific, antisemitic" shooting and that his heart breaks for the victims. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a post to X. However, Yair Golan, head of the Israeli opposition, argued that Netanyahu was himself to blame for the incident. 'I share the grief of the families of those murdered in the attack in Washington and support all employees of the State of Israel's Foreign Service,' he wrote on X. 'It is Netanyahu's Kahane Hai government that is fueling anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel, and the result is unprecedented political isolation and danger to every Jew in every corner of the globe." The activist group Jewish Voice for Peace, which opposes Israeli military actions in Gaza and the West Bank, also spoke out against the attack. "We condemn last night's fatal shooting of two staff of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C.," the group said on X. "We are grounded first and foremost in the belief that all human life is precious, which is precisely why we are struggling for a world in which all people can live in safety and dignity." The two victims of Wednesday night's attack were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter. He said Lischinsky had just purchased a ring with the intent of proposing to Milgrim next week in Jerusalem. The shooting occurred after the American Jewish Committee's annual Young Diplomats reception, billed as a special event that brings together Jewish young professionals and Washington's diplomatic community. 'This is a shocking act of violence and our community is holding each other tighter tonight,' Ted Deutch, the American Jewish Committee's CEO, said in a statement early Thursday, according to the Associated Press. 'At this painful moment, we mourn with the victims' families, loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memories be for a blessing.'
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Who Is Elias Rodriguez? Suspect Named in Israeli Embassy Staff Killings
Authorities have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy workers near a Jewish museum in Washington D.C. as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago. Israel's embassy in the U.S. named the victims as Yaron and Sarah. "No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss," it said. Video footage on social media showed a man chanting "free, free Palestine" being led away by officers inside what appeared to be the Washington D.C. Capital Jewish Museum. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters the suspect made the same chant while in custody. Smith said a man had been seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting. One eyewitness inside the museum told WAGA-TV a man ran into the building after the shooting and was initially offered help. "The security guard happened to let this guy in. I guess they were thinking and he was covered in rain, he was clearly in trauma, he was in shock, and some of the people in the event brought him water, they sat him down 'are you ok? Were you shot? What happened?' He's like 'somebody call the cops.' "So about 10 minutes later when the cops actually came in he said 'I did this,' he said 'sir I'm unarmed,' he put his hands up he grabbed a red keffiyeh out of his pocket and started the free Palestine chants. You know 'there's only one solution intifada revolution' and he was being dragged out of the building as he was yelling 'free Palestine'." This article will be updated. 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israelis feel besieged by global antisemitism after Washington attacks
By Dedi Hayun and Emily Rose JERUSALEM (Reuters) -When Jerusalem resident Ziv Halsband woke up to news that two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington had been killed, the software developer came to a disturbing conclusion: Jews were not safe anywhere. "We hope that Trump will continue to help us and to protect us all, especially in the States. And we want to be sure that we can go all over the world with confidence," said Halsband, a tank officer during the Gaza war who was seriously wounded. The Israeli embassy staffers, a young couple about to be engaged, were killed by a lone gunman in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum about 1.3 miles (2 km) from the White House. The single suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine," after being taken into custody, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said. According to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the shootings were a direct result of "toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world" since Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023. Saar told a press conference antisemitic incitement was perpetuated by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially Europe. GAZA WAR The Hamas attack on Israeli communities near Gaza's border killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages seized, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's ground and air offensive since then has displaced nearly all Gaza's 2.3 million residents and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. The Washington shootings could result in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right partners taking a harder line in the conflict in Gaza, as well as generate sympathy for Israel from Western allies who have been piling pressure on him to ease an aid blockade on the war-ravaged territory. Wednesday's shootings are also certain to further convulse debate in the U.S. and elsewhere over the war in Gaza, which has polarized steadfast supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Netanyahu said he was shocked at the "horrific antisemitic" murders which he said had taken place in an atmosphere of rising antisemitism and hostility to Israel. ""We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel," he said in a statement. He has argued throughout the war that criticism should be levelled at Hamas in the war, not at Israel as it tries to protect its citizens and fight growing antisemitism. The leaders of Britain, Canada and France said this week that Israel's recent escalation of the conflict was "wholly disproportionate". SOCIAL MEDIA The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were locally employed staff, the Israeli foreign ministry said. They were both trying to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, separate advocacy groups each belonged to said. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, who was the target of a foiled assassination attempt by Iran during his service, said incitement on social media has changed the threat level during a difficult time of pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. university campuses. "And honestly, we have to think as a country, how we combat this incitement on social media, because it's a serious threat. And what this does is a systematic dehumanization of the Jews, and we know what that leads to," he said. Some Israelis were especially concerned that the killings took place at the Jewish museum. "It's a Jewish museum, which means the hatred for Jews and the hatred to Israel both aligned. And it's sad, we should fight it," said Jerusalem resident Udi Tsemach. Israeli Aviya Levi, 30, came to the conclusion that leaving Israel was too risky. "I'm an Israeli and it makes me feel like I'm afraid. I'm afraid to go abroad. I'm afraid to. I don't know where we're going to come from. I have kids, it's just going to make me afraid." (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Alex Richardson)
AsiaOne
22-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
2 Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington shooting, suspect held , World News
Two Israeli embassy staff were killed in a shooting outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday (May 21) night, and a suspect is in custody, officials said. A man and a woman were shot and killed in the area of 3rd and F streets in Northwest which is near the museum, an FBI field office and the US attorney's office. They were a young couple about to be engaged to be married, the Israeli ambassador said. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said a single suspect who was seen pacing outside the museum before the event was in custody. The suspect, tentatively identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine," in custody, she said. The suspect had no previous contact with police, she added. President Donald Trump condemned the shooting. "These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he said in a message on Truth Social. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA." Israeli President Isaac Herzog and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the incident. Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington, said two of its staff members were shot "at close range" while attending a Jewish event at the museum. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X: "We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice." Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.
