Israelis Shocked and Horrified by Embassy Shooting

Israelis reacted with shock and horror on Thursday to the murder of two staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel called a “horrifying antisemitic murder.”

The shooting took place as the two aides were leaving an event organized by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum. The police said they had arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting who shouted,“Free, free Palestine,” after he was taken into custody.

The Israeli foreign ministry has identified the victims as Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who was responsible for organizing missions and visits to Israel, and Yaron Lischinsky, a research assistant in the political department. Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, said that they were a couple about to be engaged.

Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, called the attack a consequence of “toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world” since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.

He said critics in international organizations and governments who had accused Israel of genocide and crimes against humanity had “paved the way for these murders.” Israel has strongly rejected such accusations.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 taken to Gaza as hostages. More than a year and a half later, more than 53,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

As Israel’s war against Hamas has dragged on, the country’s reputation abroad has suffered. Many Israelis have become warier about traveling overseas, fearing that their nationality could put them at risk. Israeli officials have at times warned the public to avoid showing “Israeli and Jewish symbols,” lest they become potential targets.

At home, Israeli politicians, were quick to suggest that their domestic opponents bore some responsibility for the murder of the two young embassy staffers.

Yair Golan, who leads the left-wing Democrats party, blamed Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which has vowed to take control of the entire Gaza Strip, of “fueling antisemitism and hatred of Israel.”

“The result is unprecedented political isolation and danger to every Jew in every corner of the globe,” Mr. Golan said in a statement.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, suggested that leftist politicians who oppose the war — like Mr. Golan — encouraged the attack by making statements critical of Israeli policies. He referenced a remark Mr. Golan made earlier this week saying that Israeli forces were “killing babies as a hobby” in Gaza.

“The blood of the victims is on their hands,” Mr. Ben-Gvir wrote on social media.

Israel’s diplomatic missions abroad have long been targets for armed attacks by groups opposed to the existence of the Jewish state. In 1982, Palestinian gunmen shot Israel’s ambassador to Britain.

In 1992, a bombing at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina killed 29 people, most of them Argentine civilians. An Argentine court ruled last year that Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, carried out the attack.

Last month, British police charged a man with terrorism for attempting to break into the Israeli embassy in London, wielding two knives. There were no casualties. According to British law enforcement officials, the suspect sought to “send a message to the Israeli government to stop the war” in Gaza.

Adblock test (Why?)