Gunman kill 2 Israeli Embassy workers in Washington
Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington have been shot to death on Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organized visits and missions to Israel.
They 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, from Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting.
When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” Smith said.
The attack has prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security.
The shooting comes as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip as it continues its attacks on civilians in its determination to empty the whole of Gaza.
In a typical fashion, U.S President Donald Trump described the killing as obvious antisemitism.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” Trump posted on social media early Thursday. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
Israel’s devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, while roughly 2 million Palestinians have been uprooted from their homes. The Israeli government has also blocked all humanitarian aid to Gaza for close to four months, starving the inhabitants to death amidst continuous bombardments.
