A radical leftist terrorist shouting “Free, free Palestine” murdered a couple who worked for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC outside of the Capitol Jewish Museum.
By Rachel Avraham
On the evening of May 21, 2025, shortly after 9:00 pm, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, Illinois, murdered in cold blood two Israeli embassy staff members as they were leaving an AJC (American Jewish Committee) Young Diplomats event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC. As he was taken into custody, Rodriguez shouted, “Free, free Palestine.”
According to the Jerusalem Post, Rodriguez was charged with two counts of first degree murder. In addition to first-degree murder, Rodriguez was charged in a criminal complaint with murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence, the Jerusalem Post noted.
The Anti-Defamation League reported that “Rodriguez was previously affiliated with two prominent anti-Israel organizations, ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and participated in multiple ANSWER and PSL protests in Chicago from late 2017 through early 2018. Based on posts shared on Rodriguez’s alleged X account, he appears to have participated in anti-Israel protests in Chicago following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel. In one such post, the X account shared footage from a large protest held in the city on October 21, 2023.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, “Additional posts made by the X account over the past 20 months echo similarly extreme anti-Israel sentiments, such as language in one post declaring “Death To Israel” and in another calling a Jewish individual a “zionazi [sic].” The account also shared openly pro-terror content, including reposting videos of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah; commenting, “God bless them,” on a post about Houthi missiles launched toward Tel Aviv; and reposting a tweet after the 2024 U.S. presidential election that read, “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted For Hamas.””
The victims of the antisemitic terror attack were identified as Sarah Milgrim, 26 and Yaron Lischinsky, 30. According to the American Jewish Committee, Sarah, an American Jew from Overland Park, Kansas, was warm and compassionate, committed to peacebuilding and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations. They claimed that she was engaged with AJC as a lay leader of AJC ACCESS, AJC’s Young Professional Division, and was a beloved member of the AJC-Mimouna Michael Sachs Fellowship for Emerging Leaders community, where she joined other American, Israeli, French, and Moroccan leaders focused on advancing relations in the Middle East and North Africa.
According to the New York Times, Sarah got her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 2021. According to the report, she had lived abroad in several places, including in Costa Rica, where she earned her master’s degree in natural resources and sustainable development from the University of Peace, established by the United Nations. She also earned a master’s in international affairs from American University, the New York Times noted. According to the report, at the Israeli Embassy, Sarah worked on a range of environmental issues and helped organize events that promoted cooperation on issues like water scarcity between Israelis and Palestinians.
The American Jewish Committee noted that Yaron always had a smile on his face and a welcoming presence. As a staff member of the Political Department at the Embassy of Israel focused on Middle East issues, he attended numerous AJC events throughout his time in Washington. According to the New York Times, Yaron had a BA in international relations and Asian Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was an outstanding student, raised in a multicultural family with a Jewish father and Christian mother. According to the report, part of his childhood was spent in Germany, even though he was born in Israel and his family is from Beit Zayit, a village west of Jerusalem. The American Jewish Committee noted how Yaron shared how excited he was to be going back home to spend the Jewish holiday of Shavuot with his family in Israel.
According to the American Jewish Committee, “The event” that was attacked “was organized by AJC ACCESS, AJC’s young professional division, which empowers Jewish leaders to advocate on behalf of critical domestic and global issues facing the Jewish community. This annual reception brings together Jewish young professionals (ages 22–45) and diplomats from around the world. At this year’s event, attendees heard from members of the Multifaith Alliance and IsraAID on humanitarian diplomacy and how a coalition of organizations – from the region and for the region – are working together in response to humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.”
The Jerusalem Post reported that the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC released a statement that read: “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
Arutz Sheva reported that President Donald Trump is “saddened and outraged” over the Wednesday night murder of Israeli Embassy staff members Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in Washington, DC, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Thursday: “Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were a beautiful young couple. In fact, we’ve learned that Yaron was planning to propose to Sarah next week in Jerusalem.”
She noted that Yaron’s father, Daniel, spoke about the couple’s devotion to one another, saying: “They were in love, the Embassy told us they were like a star couple at the Embassy. I never expected something like this; he had his whole life before him.” The Press Secretary remarked: “These words, especially every parent knows, are heart wrenching. The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote on X: “We are shocked and horrified by the news of the brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy staff members in Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. May their memory be a blessing. We embrace the grieving families during this painful time and will continue to support them always. Israeli diplomats and representatives around the world stand on the frontlines of Israel’s diplomatic efforts — defending the country with their very lives. We will not be deterred by terror. We will continue our mission across the globe, with unwavering commitment to represent Israel with pride.”
“We are devastated that two cherished friends and partners from the Israeli embassy were shot and killed as they left an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event at the Capital Jewish Museum,” American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch said. “This is a shocking act of violence and our community is holding each other tighter. At this painful moment, we mourn with the victims’ families, loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memories be for a blessing.”
“This murder didn’t happen in a vacuum, but is the direct result of the incessant hatred by those who call to ‘Globalize the Intifada,’” Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman stated. “For those who wondered about the context of whether a particular chant was hate speech or antisemitic, this is what it looks like when physically manifested. We have warned about the growing violence of the far-left, and now it seems that our deepest fears have come true.”
“The murderer did not know his victims were Israeli, he just knew they attended a Jewish event,” Roytman added. “When we say that the antisemites don’t hate Jews because of Israel, but rather, they hate Israel because it is the Jewish homeland, this is what we mean.”
Roytman concluded, “We send our condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for those injured. The global Jewish family stands united at this time in the face of such hate and violence.”
Photo from The National Desk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfB4asxe9AQ
