Netanyahu, after the Washington shooting: "'Free Palestine' is today's 'Heil Hitler'"

WashingtonPolice cordoned off the area surrounding the Jewish Museum in Washington this afternoon, where two Israeli embassy workers in the United States were shot dead early Thursday morning. Some people were approaching the crime scene to leave bouquets of carnations and candles. "It's a result of all the hate that's circulating," Mark Rosenberg, a Florida rabbi who traveled specifically to the scene to offer his condolences, told ARA. The "never again" the rabbi refers to is the motto coined by the Jewish community after the Holocaust.

was meeting with young diplomats at the Jewish Museum when a gunman shot them dead. A group of federal agents has already gone to Rodríguez's home in Chicago to obtain more information. New York Times, including one that says "Justice for Wadea," a reference to the 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy killed in Illinois two years ago.

"For these neo-Nazis, 'Free Palestine' is simply today's version of 'Heil Hitler.' They don't want a Palestinian state. They want to destroy the Jewish state. They want to annihilate the Jewish people, who have been in the Land of Israel for 3,500 years," the freshman said Thursday. In addition, the premier An Israeli has once again attacked France, Great Britain, and Canada, after these countries threatened sanctions against Israel on the 19th if it does not stop its offensive in Gaza and show its willingness to recognize Palestine as a state. "These leaders may think they are promoting peace. That's not the case. They are encouraging Hamas to continue fighting forever," he said.

Meanwhile, details about the attacker are emerging. Rodriguez's LinkedIn, which is still open, suggests he was born and raised in Chicago. The man graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in English language and literature. Currently, Rodriguez worked at the American Osteopathic Information Association, according to his profile, a professional entity for osteopaths. Prior to that job, he had been an oral history researcher and production coordinator for a platform dedicated to African-American history. On his X account, he shared a video of the pro-Palestinian march that took place in 2023.

On Thursday night, Rodriguez was formally charged with first-degree murder and other crimes. The FBI affidavit filed with the District of Columbia court explains that while in custody, the suspect said the following: "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza."

At the press conference after the crime, Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith explained that the man "was not on the radar" of the security forces. "We have had no prior interaction" with the suspect, he said. Before committing the double homicide, Rodriguez had been seen "pacing nervously in front of the museum." According to the police account, the man approached a group of four people outside the museum, pulled out his pistol, and fatally shot Lischinsky and Milgram. After hearing the shots, some attendees told the BBC that "a man had entered the museum, clearly agitated," and people had approached him to offer him water and help, "unaware that he was the shooter."

"Free Palestine"

The moment the security personnel appeared, Rodriguez took out a red kufia – the Palestinian headscarf – and shouted "Free Palestine." "Once handcuffed, the suspect identified where he had left the weapon, which was recovered, and hinted that he had committed the crime. The suspect called "Free Palestine" once in custody," the police chief said.

The director of the Jewish Museum, Beatrice Gurwitz, condemned the events in a statement and expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. "In an act of horrific anti-Semitic violence, a gunman attacked our beloved community. This is a devastating tragedy," she said. The museum hopes to reopen in the coming days with "all the security necessary."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he will increase security at his diplomatic missions around the world. "We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and savage incitement against the State of Israel," he said in a statement.

The event attended by the victims was organized by the Committee for American Jews. It was advertised online as a cocktail evening and "the major event of the year connecting young professionals with the diplomatic corps." The event description stated that special guests would include humanitarian aid organizers responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, including Gaza. Although the event's schedule was publicly announced, its location was only shared with those who registered to attend.

The President of Israel condemns "the despicable act of antisemitism."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was "devastated" by the attack that "took the lives of two young Israeli embassy workers," describing it as "a despicable act of hatred and anti-Semitism." Herzog sent a message to the American Jewish community. "America and Israel will stand united in defending our people and our shared values. Terror and hatred will not break us," he wrote.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations also called the incident a "depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism." "Attacking diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line," the permanent representative to the UN, Danny Danon, wrote to X. "We have full confidence that the US authorities will act decisively against those responsible for this crime. We have full confidence in law enforcement, both local and federal, to apprehend the shooter and protect representatives of Israel and Jewish communities in the United States," said spokesman Tal Naim Cohen.

Speaking to CBS, JoJo Kalin, a board member of the American Jewish Committee and organizer of the event after which the shooting took place, said: "I didn't know the couple who were shot, but I do feel a certain sense of guilt. It's a very Jewish thing to do. I organized it."

US President Donald Trump has already spoken out on his Truth Social network: "These horrific murders in [Washington] DC, obviously based on anti-Semitism, must end, now! Hate and radicalism have no place in the US. So sad that things like this can happen! God bless you all!"