Following the murder of a Jewish couple by a suspect believed to be part of a far-left Marxist group, social media was flooded with condolences and calls for antisemitism to end.
Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night in an act that President Donald Trump said was “based obviously on antisemitism.” Others echoed the president’s sentiment.
“My heart breaks for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were murdered last night at the Capital Jewish Museum,” Vice President JD Vance said on X. “Antisemitic violence has no place in the United States. We’re praying for their families and all of our friends at the Israeli Embassy, where the two victims worked.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared at a press conference Wednesday evening alongside D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter, among others. Bondi was at the scene within hours of the shooting.
“We’ll be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight, our Jewish community. Our prayers go out,” Bondi said. “We will follow the facts. We will follow the law. This defendant, if charged, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks on the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff in DC:
“This defendant, if charged, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 22, 2025
On Fox News’s America’s Newsroom on Thursday, Bondi implied the suspect could face the death penalty.
“What I can say, in any case, right now, because I’m not just commenting on it — it’s with my office, you weigh the facts. You look at the law,” Bondi said. “I signed a death warrant yesterday on a case. So we are seeking the death penalty again, that was Donald Trump’s directive from Day One. We will look at this case very closely, and the facts of this case are horrific; that will be decided down the road in accordance with the law. Let me assure you, justice will be served in this case.”
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin shared a photo of himself with Milgrim.
“I just met Sarah two weeks ago in my office at EPA HQ. She struck me as a young woman filled with life and positivity,” Zeldin captioned the photo. “Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming “Free Palestine”. May Sarah and Yaron rest in peace.”
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee appeared on Fox News’s Fox & Friends on Thursday to share his reaction. He said he spoke to Bondi, Leiter, and Lischinsky’s father.
“People here in Israel are devastated. It is a disheartening act that happens in the U.S. nation’s capital,” Huckabee said. “It’s just a horrific tragedy, act of terror, and another way in which we have to recognize Jewish people all over the world are being singled out for these kind of horrible attacks.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) lamented that Lischinsky had plans to propose to Milgrim in Jerusalem, as the two were dating and set to travel to Israel next week. Shapiro said he related because he also proposed to his wife at Jerusalem’s Montefiore Windmill.
“We are praying for their families, their colleagues, and those who loved them,” Shapiro said of the victims. “We’re praying for the American Jewish community, who are coming to grips with yet another targeted attack in our nation. And, as I shared with [the American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch] this morning, this latest incident of antisemitism has no place in our civil society and all people have a responsibility to speak and act with the moral clarity this moment demands — this type of hate and violence is never justified.”
GUNMAN ACCUSED OF KILLING TWO ISRAELI DIPLOMATS LINKED TO FAR-LEFT MARXIST GROUP
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” the embassy said of the couple. “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.”
“Israeli diplomats and representatives around the world stand on the frontlines of Israel’s diplomatic efforts — defending the country with their very lives,” the Israeli government said on X. “We will not be deterred by terror. We will continue our mission across the globe, with unwavering commitment to represent Israel with pride.”
The Holocaust Museum issued a statement on how this recent act of violence is a reflection of a worldwide problem.
“The murder of Israeli Embassy staff outside the Capital Jewish Museum is a horrific act of antisemitic terrorism amid a worldwide eruption of antisemitism,” the museum said on X. “Everyone should be outraged. Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and colleagues.”
X CEO Linda Yaccarino also brought attention to the shooting.
“Antisemitism and violence have no place in America. The murder of two Israeli Embassy employees last night is a tragedy that we cannot ignore,” Yaccarino said. “I am praying for the families, friends, and colleagues.”