Two Israeli embassy employees tragically lost their lives Wednesday night after being shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were not only coworkers but also  reportedly just days away from becoming engaged.
The attack occurred as the couple left the American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception around 9 p.m. The Israeli Embassy in Washington shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, mourning the loss of two cherished team members. “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” the Embassy of Israel to the USA wrote on X.
The statement continued, “This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. 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.”
According to Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, Lischinsky had purchased an engagement ring just days earlier and planned to propose during an upcoming trip to Yerushalayim.
Both individuals served at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Lischinsky, originally from Israel, had been working as a research assistant in the Political Department since September 2022. His background included three years of service in the Israel Defense Forces, as noted on his LinkedIn profile.
Milgrim, an American Jew with academic credentials from the University of Kansas and American University, joined the embassy’s Public Diplomacy department in November 2023. Her responsibilities included organizing delegations and missions to Eretz Yisrael.
The reception they attended was hosted by the AJC and is considered its flagship annual event, bringing together Jewish professionals aged 22 to 45 along with members of the diplomatic corps. This year’s theme focused on channeling pain into purpose and addressing humanitarian concerns in the Middle East and North Africa.
After the event concluded at the museum’s location on 575 3rd St. NW, just steps from both the FBI field office and the US Attorney’s Office, the couple and two others were targeted in a sudden act of violence.
DC Police Chief Pamela Smith explained that the shooter, Elias Rodriguez, had been observed lingering near the museum before suddenly opening fire on the group. He then discarded his weapon and fled into the museum, where he confessed to the attack. During his arrest, he reportedly yelled “Free, free Palestine.”
Just under two weeks before their deaths, Lischinsky and Milgrim had taken part in an Israeli Independence Day celebration hosted at the embassy. In a post featuring a photo of the smiling couple, Lischinsky had written, “We are deeply grateful for the historic alliance with our steadfast partner, the United States and the great American people, who have stood by our side. I look forward to working with this administration to bring about more security, freedom and peace.”
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu denounced the killings as a heinous act of antisemitism. “We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. Blood libels against Israel have a cost in blood and must be fought to the utmost,” Netanyahu said Thursday morning. “My heart grieves for the families of the young beloveds, whose lives were cut short in a moment by an abhorrent antisemitic murderer.”
In light of the attack, Netanyahu urged all Israeli embassies and diplomats abroad to bolster their security.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, in remarks shared with CNN, said he had reached out to Lischinsky’s father and offered words of comfort. He stated, “was a warrior on our diplomatic front that fell just like a soldier on the battlefield.”
Sa’ar also noted that he had feared such a tragedy for some time. “I have been worried for the past few months that something like this would happen and it did, and the list of fallen foreign service members has grown today,” he said. He condemned the shooting as “toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world.”
President Trump also weighed in, strongly denouncing the violence. “These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
{Matzav.com}