Latest news with #WashingtonShooting
Al Arabiya
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US tightens security after murder of Israeli embassy staff
Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday as the US capital reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum. The 31-year-old Chicago man accused of Wednesday's attack shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was taken away by police—exacerbating fears over rising antisemitism since Israel's invasion of Gaza following the unprecedented October 2023 ISIS attack. 'Around DC, you will see an increased presence of law enforcement officers around the community, you will find us around our faith-based organizations,' Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith told reporters. 'You will see an increased presence around our schools and places like the DC Jewish Community Center. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community.' Authorities in Washington said they were investigating the shooting 'as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime' ahead of a preliminary court hearing set for alleged killer Elias Rodriguez on June 18. President Donald Trump—who spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—posted on social media that the attack was clearly antisemitic. The shooting, just a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, triggered international outrage as Israel blamed European criticism of its Gaza offensive, which came in response to the ISIS attack. The victims of Wednesday's attack, Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky and American Sarah Lynn Milgrim, had been planning to marry. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered her interfaith council, local Jewish leaders, city councilors and law enforcement officials on Thursday to coordinate the community response. 'We have a long history, and a lot of practice in our city, of working with Jewish organizations around safety and around protection,' she told a news conference. Aaron Hiller, head of the board of the Hill Havurah synagogue, who was organizing a vigil for the victims in Washington late Friday, said the attack was 'unfortunately … not unexpected.' 'Both acts of antisemitism and acts of violence are all too common,' Hiller said, though insisting the community was 'very safe.' 'I walk to work and from work very late at night (and) my kids roam the neighborhood freely,' he said. But 'particularly since the events of October 7th, we are taking steps to enhance our security here and elsewhere.' Daniel Ben Chitrit, who was at the vigil, said he was deeply shaken by Wednesday's killings, adding that he was supposed to have been at the Jewish museum that evening. 'I didn't know the victims, but I've met the victims at previous events,' he said. He insisted there had been no way for the shooter to know the couple worked at the Israeli embassy.
Malay Mail
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Washington tightens security after deadly shooting of Israeli embassy staff outside Jewish museum
WASHINGTON, May 24 — Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday as the US capital reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum. The 31-year-old Chicago man accused of Wednesday's attack shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was taken away by police — exacerbating fears over rising anti-Semitism since Israel's invasion of Gaza following the unprecedented October 2023 Hamas attack. 'Around DC, you will see an increased presence of law enforcement officers around the community, you will find us around our faith-based organisations,' Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith told reporters. 'You will see an increased presence around our schools and places like the DC Jewish Community Centre. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community.' Authorities in Washington said they were investigating the shooting 'as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime' ahead of a preliminary court hearing set for alleged killer Elias Rodriguez on June 18. President Donald Trump — who spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — posted on social media that the attack was clearly anti-Semitic. The shooting, just 1.6 kilometers from the White House, triggered international outrage as Israel blamed European criticism of its Gaza offensive, which came in response to the Hamas attack. The victims of Wednesday's attack, Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky and American Sarah Lynn Milgrim, had been planning to marry. 'Crazy' Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered her interfaith council, local Jewish leaders, city councillors and law enforcement officials on Thursday to coordinate the community response. 'We have a long history, and a lot of practice in our city, of working with Jewish organisations around safety and around protection,' she told a news conference. Aaron Hiller, head of the board of the Hill Havurah synagogue, who was organising a vigil for the victims in Washington late Friday, said the attack was 'unfortunately ... not unexpected.' 'Both acts of anti-Semitism and acts of violence are all too common,' Hiller said, though insisting the community was 'very safe.' 'I walk to work and from work very late at night (and) my kids roam the neighbourhood freely,' he said. But 'particularly since the events of October 7th, we are taking steps to enhance our security here and elsewhere.' Daniel Ben Chitrit, who was at the vigil, said he was deeply shaken by Wednesday's killings, adding that he was supposed to have been at the Jewish Museum that evening. 'I didn't know the victims, but I've met the victims at previous events,' he said. He insisted there had been no way for the shooter to know the couple worked at the Israeli embassy. 'All he knew is that they were coming from the Jewish event,' he said. — AFP
CNA
23-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
US tightens security after murder of Israeli embassy staff
WASHINGTON: Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday (May 23) as the US capitol reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum. The 31-year-old Chicago man accused of Wednesday's attack shouted "Free Palestine" as he was taken away by police - exacerbating fears over rising anti-Semitism since Israel's invasion of Gaza following the unprecedented Hamas attack. "Around DC, you will see an increased presence of law enforcement officers around the community, you will find us around our faith-based organizations," Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela A. Smith told reporters. "You will see an increased presence around our schools and places like the DC Jewish Community Center. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community." Authorities in Washington said they were investigating the shooting "as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime" ahead of a preliminary court hearing set for alleged killer Elias Rodriguez on June 18. President Donald Trump - who spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - posted on social media that the attack was clearly anti-Semitic. The shooting, just a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, triggered international outrage as Israel blamed European criticism of its Gaza offensive in response to the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants. The victims of Wednesday's attack, Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US employee of the embassy, had been planning to marry. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered her interfaith council, local Jewish leaders, city councillors and law enforcement officials on Thursday to coordinate the community response. "We have a long history, and a lot of practice in our city, of working with Jewish organizations around safety and around protection," she told a news conference. "And we watch global events, national events and local events, and our organizations work directly with MPD, and MPD responds with additional resources."
Globe and Mail
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Carney ‘appalled' by killing of Israeli embassy staff in Washington
The fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington has drawn shock and sorrow across Canada, with Jewish leaders demanding that more be done to combat antisemitism. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was 'devastated and appalled' by the murder of the young couple, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, an American. 'This was a targeted attack against the Jewish community – a violent act of antisemitism,' Mr. Carney said in a post to X. 'This hate is intolerable, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.' Mr. Lischinsky and Ms. Milgrim were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night when a suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference on Thursday. The gunman then walked into the museum, was detained by event security and began chanting 'Free, free Palestine,' Chief Smith said. Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, was charged Thursday in U.S. federal court with two counts of first-degree murder, the murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Mr. Lischinsky had purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to Ms. Milgrim next week in Jerusalem, said Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to Washington. The museum had been playing host to a humanitarian-aid event for Gaza. Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, senior rabbi of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, said he was shocked but not surprised to learn of the shooting. He had been warning elected officials about their messaging on the Israel-Hamas war, which he said failed to appropriately identify Hamas as the perpetrator and scapegoated Jewish and Israeli people. 'It didn't surprise me at all that someone would take from that, 'I'm going to go be a vigilante and make an example of the Jewish people,' and exact retribution or punishment on them for the suffering − the real suffering − that is happening in Gaza,' he said. Noah Shack, interim president at the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a Canadian non-profit advocacy group, said the shooting was the result of the predictable pattern of growing hate and incitement targeting Jews in North America. 'While our community is resilient, this should be a wakeup call to all governments about the urgent need for action,' he said in a statement. 'This includes strengthening laws to tackle the open support for terrorism taking place in Canadian streets and enhancing measures to secure Jewish institutions here in Canada.' Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt of the Congregation Schara Tzedeck Synagogue in Vancouver, which was the target of arson almost exactly one year ago, said now is a time for Jews to grieve – and to remember that they are not the ones who should be feeling guilty at this moment. 'We don't inspire this antisemitism,' he said. 'People often say, 'Rabbi, what are you going to do about antisemites?' And I respond to them, 'I don't have antisemites in my congregation; it is not my responsibility to fix the antisemites.' ' Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he was 'heartbroken and outraged' by the killings. '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 in a post on X. 'We must speak the truth, stand with the Jewish community, and unite to erase this hatred from Canada and the entire world.' Meanwhile, the 2025 UJA Walk With Israel fundraiser in Toronto will proceed as planned on Sunday, with organizers saying that current events have made the gathering more important than ever. Last year's walk drew about 50,000 people, and preregistration is higher this year than last. 'The people who are targeting our community, the people who are espousing hate, want us to stay home,' said Sara Lefton, chief development officer at the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto. 'They want us to be afraid to walk outside in our own city, in Toronto, to live proudly as Jews and as Canadians. And we can't allow that to happen. We can't be afraid. We must be proud.' The Israel-Hamas war was ignited on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed more than 53,600 Palestinians, according to the territory's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The fighting has displaced 90 per cent of the territory's roughly two million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. With a report from The Associated Press
LBCI
22-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Qatar condemns killing of Israeli embassy staff in Washington
Qatar, a key mediator in the Israel-Hamas war, condemned on Thursday the killing of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington -- which was carried out by a gunman who shouted "free Palestine" when arrested. "The state of Qatar condemns and denounces the shooting incident in front of the Jewish museum in Washington that led to the killing of two Israeli embassy employees," the Qatari foreign minsitry said in a statement, offering the country's "condolences" to the families of the victims. AFP
