Elias Rodriguez – www.israelhayom.com

Trump dispatches homeland security sec to Israel following Washington shooting attack

omrif — Sun, 25 May 2025 16:00:44 +0000

In the wake of the murder of Israeli Embassy staffers outside an event at the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington DC, President Donald Trump has sent Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Israel on an urgent visit. Noem is expected to land in Israel this evening (Sunday), where she will immediately head to the Western Wall. Later, she is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as with victims of terrorism. On Monday, she is scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

The attacker, Elias Rodriguez, murdered married couple Yaron Lishinsky and Sarah Milgrom. Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, has been charged with premeditated murder. The indictment reveals chilling details about the shooting, which occurred outside the National Jewish Museum.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were supposed to get engaged | Photo: Social media

According to the indictment, Rodriguez approached the couple from behind, drew a handgun and opened fire at their backs. After they collapsed, he confirmed the kills by shooting both multiple times. Milgrom, who tried to crawl away, was shot again as she attempted to sit up. Surveillance footage shows Rodriguez reloading his weapon and firing at her at point-blank range. He then leaned over their bodies and fired again.

The museum's security cameras captured the entire incident, including the moment the weapon jammed and Rodriguez appeared to try to fire without success. The 9mm handgun was purchased by Rodriguez in Illinois in March 2020. The shooting took place shortly before 9 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time). Emergency responders pronounced Lishinsky dead at the scene. Milgrom was evacuated to a hospital but was declared dead about half an hour later.

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Slain Israeli diplomat Yarón Lischinsky was German Christian who fell in love with Jewish state

ErezL — Thu, 22 May 2025 13:23:15 +0000

Yarón Lischinsky (30) and Sarah Lynn Milgrim (26), two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington, were murdered Thursday in a shooting attack outside the Jewish Museum in the US capital. The perpetrator, Elias Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago – a far-left activist previously involved in anti-Israeli protests across the US – left behind a manifesto declaring he carried out the attack "as part of the Palestinian struggle."

Lischinsky grew up in Nuremberg, Germany as an Evangelical Christian before moving to Israel in his youth driven by Zionist ideals. Zineb Riboua, a Moroccan researcher based in the US who maintained a close friendship with Lischinsky, shared her grief on social media, writing: "Yarón Lischinskywas the finest friend I've ever had, brilliant, kind, and endlessly thoughtful. A devout Christian and a gifted linguist, he spoke German, Hebrew, and Japanese. He was full of curiosity and always brimming with ideas. I don't think we ever had a conversation that didn't leave me inspired to write something new. He loved America. He was excited about the future, about finally visiting Texas, and about the life he and his beloved fiancée were building together. I was supposed to meet her today. They are both gone. And the loss is immeasurable. The world has lost two extraordinary souls. And I have lost a dear friend who made every moment brighter."

Tom Ziv, former director of the Argaman Institute and doctoral candidate at the Hebrew University, first met Lischinsky when he taught him at the Hebrew University. "He was an undergraduate student in my introduction to international relations course," Ziv recalled in an interview. "During the final class, I mentioned my doctoral dissertation about Israel's support methods in the evangelical world. Afterward, he approached me and revealed he was an evangelical Christian himself and wanted to discuss this further."

This spawned a meaningful relationship that spanned several years. "He became the first evangelical Christian I interviewed face-to-face," Ziv explained. "We maintained regular contact afterward. I frequently consulted with him about evangelicals in general, my research, and even personal matters. I introduced him to the Argaman Institute where I managed various programs. Later, when I became the institute's director, he joined one of our initiatives – a program designed for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students."

The scene near the Jewish Capital Museum on May 22, 2025, after the shooting. Inset: Sarah Lynn Milgrim (AP/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Ziv portrays him as "simply a charming and kind-hearted individual. Quiet and modest, yet simultaneously filled with passion and a genuine desire to create change." He added that "if I had to describe him in one word, it would be Zionist. This quality was unmistakably prominent in everything he did."

"We're talking about someone from Germany who identified as Christian, yet chose to come to Israel and serve in the military," Ziv emphasized. "He didn't merely come to complete his service and leave – he genuinely wanted to build his life here." Ziv mentioned that Lischinsky even encouraged his family to immigrate to Israel, "They relocated here. I'm not certain where they reside now, but they were living in Israel at that time."

Lischinsky was mourned by social media as a modest and loveable person (Credit: Social media)

Following his military service and academic pursuits at both the Hebrew University and Reichman University, Lischinsky embarked on a diplomatic career path. "He truly committed his life to serving the State of Israel, choosing diplomacy as his vehicle for contribution," Ziv explained.

According to Ziv, Lischinsky believed that "diplomacy offered him the greatest opportunity to create meaningful change, leveraging his multilingual abilities, dual citizenship, and what you might call his international perspective to defend Israel and enhance our global position and standing."

At the Israeli embassy in Washington, where he began working in early 2023, Lischinsky served as a research assistant in the political department focusing on Middle East and North Africa issues, while Milgrim worked within the public diplomacy section. Ziv describes a young professional primarily interested in "Zionism, strategy, and diplomacy," alongside philosophy and various other intellectual pursuits. "He was an exceptional student. Quiet, modest, always with a smile. A true role model," Ziv remarked.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were supposed to get engaged (Social media) Social media

Ziv emphasized that Lischinsky's religious convictions played a significant role in shaping his life choices. "He clearly identified as an evangelical Christian," Ziv noted. "To quote him directly, he once told me, 'As a Christian who reads the Bible, support and love for Israel naturally flows from scripture. I cannot imagine it any other way.'"

A man with an Israeli flag draped on his shoulders near the scene where two people were shot and killed near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, May 22, 2025 (EPA / Will Oliver)

The final conversation between Ziv and Lischinsky occurred approximately a year ago. "During our last talk, he mentioned wanting to remain in Washington a bit longer before eventually returning to Israel. He envisioned his future here." His diplomatic ambitions remained evident even then. "In that final conversation, I asked him directly whether he saw his future in diplomacy. He confirmed that he did."

Ziv becomes visibly emotional while reflecting on Lischinsky's legacy. "Without exaggeration – many Israelis and Jews could learn profound lessons about Zionism from people like him. He demonstrated what it means to embrace Zionist ideals without cynicism."

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DC shooter manifesto revealed

omrif — Thu, 22 May 2025 07:00:39 +0000

An American blogger on Thursday published the final letter written by Elias Rodriguez, a far-left activist who carried out the deadly shooting at the Jewish Museum in Washington, killing two employees of the Israeli Embassy.

The blogger, Ken Klippenstein, claims that the signature and timestamp on the document indicate its authenticity. Other experts who chose to share the excerpt also believe it to be an original document.

In a lengthy, impassioned, and ideologically charged text, Rodriguez, a radical leftist from Chicago, claimed that Israel's conduct in the Gaza Strip, and in particular, American support for Israeli operations, had driven him to commit the terrorist attack.

"After a few months of rapidly mounting death tolls Israel had obliterated the capacity to even continue counting the dead, which has served its genocide well," Rodriguez wrote at the start of his letter. "At time of writing the Gaza health ministry records 53,000 killed by traumatic force, at least ten thousand lie under rubble, and who knows how many thousands more dead of preventable disease, hunger, with tens of thousands now at risk of imminent famine due to Israeli blockade, all enabled by Western and Arab government complicity."

In the letter's closing paragraph, Rodriguez justified his actions, writing: "Those of us against the genocide take satisfaction in arguing that the perpetrators and abettors have forfeited their humanity. I sympathize with this viewpoint and understand its value in soothing the psyche which cannot bear to accept the atrocities it witnesses, even mediated through the screen. But inhumanity has long since shown itself to be shockingly common, mundane, prosaically human. A perpetrator may then be a loving parent, a filial child, a generous and charitable friend, an amiable stranger, capable of moral strength at times when it suits him and sometimes even when it does not, and yet be a monster all the same. Humanity doesn't exempt one from accountability. The action would have been morally justified taken 11 years ago during Protective Edge, around the time I personally became acutely aware of our brutal conduct in Palestine. But I think to most Americans such an action would have been illegible, would seem insane. I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do."

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How embassy attack unfolded: Eyewitnesses describe 'back and forth' pacing

ErezL — Thu, 22 May 2025 04:11:28 +0000

Paige Siegel, an eyewitness to the tragic shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC on Wednesday, unknowingly spoke to the suspect, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, moments after the attack, mistaking his shaken demeanor for that of a harmless bystander, CNN reported.

The shooting unfolded at approximately 9:08 p.m. ET near Third Street and F Street Northwest, outside the Capital Jewish Museum, during the American Jewish Committee's "Young Diplomats Reception." The event, themed "turning pain into purpose," brought together young professionals and diplomats from 6:30 to 9 p.m. ET. The victims, leaving the sold-out gathering, were fatally shot, prompting a swift response from authorities due to the proximity of the FBI's Washington Field Office.

Siegel's firsthand account illuminates the suspect's actions immediately after the shooting. Unaware of his role, she spoke to Rodriguez, a 30-year-old from Chicago, inside the museum, where he had fled. She described him as "so shaken" that he appeared harmless, leading her to initially mistake him for a bystander.

Siegel's perception shifted when police arrived roughly 10 minutes later. As Rodriguez was apprehended, she told CNN she heard him shout "Free Palestine!" revealing his involvement. His later statement to police, "I did it for Gaza," suggests a possible ideological motive linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Sara Marinuzzi, another eyewitness, noted Rodriguez pretended to be a witness for over 10 minutes before admitting, "I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!" aligning with Siegel's observations.

Rodriguez, previously unknown to law enforcement, was detained by event security inside the museum. He directed authorities to his discarded handgun, which was recovered, and admitted his involvement while chanting "Free Free Palestine," according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces and DC Metropolitan Police are interviewing Rodriguez and analyzing evidence at the FBI's Washington Field Office. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed no active threat remains, reassuring the community.

Police received multiple calls about the shooting and found the victims – a man and a woman – unconscious and not breathing. Despite efforts by DC Fire and EMS, both succumbed to their injuries.

The scene of the attack against Israeli Embassy workers in Washington DC, May 22, 2025 (Inset: the suspect being arrested) EPA/WILL OLIVER

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith said authorities received "multiple calls" for a shooting near Third Street and F Street Northwest around 9:08 p.m. ET. with responding officers discovering two adults – one male and one female – at the scene.

"Officers located one adult male and one adult female unconscious and not breathing at the scene," Smith stated. Despite emergency responders' attempts to save them, Smith confirmed that "both victims succumbed to their injuries."

The Israeli ambassador to the US revealed that the deceased were a couple who had been planning to become engaged. They were among four people approached by the gunman as they departed from the museum event.

Prior to the attack, security footage showed the suspect Illinois, pacing back and forth outside the museum. According to information provided to CNN, Rodriguez opened fire with a handgun before entering the museum.

Event security personnel detained Rodriguez inside the building. After being handcuffed, the suspect directed security to the location where he had discarded his weapon, which authorities subsequently recovered.

While in custody, Rodriguez reportedly chanted "Free free Palestine." Police officials informed CNN that Rodriguez had no prior contact with law enforcement and is believed to have acted alone in the attack.

President Donald Trump offered condolences on Truth Social, stating, "Antisemitism, hatred, and Radicalism have no place in the USA." Attorney General Pam Bondi, who visited the scene, pledged federal cooperation with DC authorities to ensure safety.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack "a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence." US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee labeled it a "horrific act of terror," and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described it as a "sickening" instance of antisemitism.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed solidarity, stating that America and Israel "will stand united" in defending shared values. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar declared, "Israel will not surrender to terrorism," after discussions with Huckabee.

The attack has heightened concerns within the Jewish community. Ron Halber, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, urged resilience, advocating for "proud, open, Jewish lives." Federal and local authorities are prioritizing security, particularly for the Jewish community, with FBI police officers' rapid response highlighting robust coordination.

Authorities are examining Rodriguez's background and potential affiliations, with his statements and recovered weapon central to the probe.. Attorney General Bondi emphasized federal commitment to safety, stating that agencies will "work hand-in-hand" with DC authorities to protect citizens, especially the Jewish community.

"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", Campaign Against Antisemitism CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa said, adding that anyone who "wondered about the context of whether a particular chant was hate speech or antisemitic, this is what it looks like when physically manifested." He stressed that CAM "has warned about the growing violence of the far-Left, and now it seems that our deepest fears have come true." According to CAM's statement, "the murderer did not know his victims were Israeli, he just knew they attended a Jewish event. When we say that the anti-Semites don't hate Jews because of Israel, but rather, they hate Israel because it is the Jewish homeland, this is what we mean."

CAM pointed to its annual Antisemitism data report, showing that "the most prominent characteristic of antisemitic incidents was the overwhelming dominance of far-Left ideology," which they say is a "decisive shift from 2023."

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Ocasio-Cortez ignores Jewish identity of victims in DC shooting, faces backlash

ErezL — Thu, 22 May 2025 03:46:29 +0000

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) sparked controversy with her response to the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., late Wednesday evening, drawing both praise and sharp criticism for not explicitly mentioning the victims' Jewish identity or their connection to Israel. The attack, which occurred during an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event, has been labeled a potential act of "antisemitic terrorism" by Israeli officials, with the suspect reportedly shouting "Free, Free Palestine" after being detained.

The scene of the attack against Israeli Embassy workers in Washington DC, May 22, 2025 / Will Oliver

The NY congresswoman posted on X early Thursday morning, stating, "Absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents. I am devastated by the killing of two people outside an @AJCGlobal event here in Washington. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and loved ones of all impacted. As we await more details, we must be clear that hatred has no home here. Antisemitism is a threat to all we hold dear as a society. It must be confronted and rooted out everywhere."

YOU CANT EVEN SAY WHO WAS KILLED. Two JEWS. Two Israelis about to get engaged.

Your hostile rhetoric poisons minds and leads to acts of violence like this. https://t.co/E6iLN4c316

— Josh Block (@JoshBlockDC) May 22, 2025

Absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents. I am devastated by the killing of two people outside an @AJCGlobal event here in Washington. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and loved ones of all impacted.

As we await more details, we must be clear that hatred…

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 22, 2025

Critics quickly accused her of downplaying the antisemitic nature of the attack, with X user Arsen Ostrovsky replying, "'Two people'? They were two JEWS. And more specifically, worked at the Israeli Embassy. These are pertinent details." Another user, Paul A. Szypula, added, "Who else thinks @AOC and her Hamas Squad in Congress caused the DC Israeli embassy attack on Wednesday? The fact she's now pretending to be against violence, after she's been inciting it for years, is ridiculous. She's who justified rioters stealing. AOC needs to resign." A Foreign Policy scholar called Josh Block wrote: "YOU CANT EVEN SAY WHO WAS KILLED. Two JEWS. Two Israelis about to get engaged. Your hostile rhetoric poisons minds and leads to acts of violence like this."

Video: The arrest of the suspect at the scene of the killing / Credit: Social media

The shooting took place around 9:05 p.m. local time on May 21, 2025, as attendees were exiting the AJC's annual Young Diplomats reception. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, was apprehended inside the museum shortly after the incident, according to DC Police Chief Pamela Smith.

The victims, a young couple who had planned to get engaged, were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not been released pending notification of their families.

US Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Democrat of New York, addresses supporters on March 21, 2025 (Jason Connolly / AFP) Jason Connolly / AFP

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter condemned the attack as a "depraved act of antisemitic terrorism," per CNN, while AJC CEO Ted Deutch expressed devastation, stating, "We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue." US Attorney General Pam Bondi added, "Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more," according to ABC News. The FBI and DC police are investigating the incident as a potential hate crime or terror attack.

"Two people"? They were two JEWS. And more specifically, worked at the Israeli Embassy. These are pertinent details. Maybe you ought to be more mindful of your relentless inflammatory rhetoric, that only emboldens the kinds of perpetrators from tonight's heinous attack.

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) May 22, 2025

The controversy surrounding AOC's statement reflects broader tensions over her past criticism of Israel, including her 2024 remarks accusing Israel of "genocide" in Gaza, which some argue have fueled antisemitic sentiment. The incident also comes amid a reported 140% increase in antisemitic incidents in the US.from 2023 to 2024, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

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Alleged shooter in DC museum attack apparently linked to far-Left

ErezL — Thu, 22 May 2025 03:15:54 +0000

US authorities have released the name of the suspect in the attack at a Jewish museum in Washington, where two Israeli embassy workers were murdered Thursday morning. According to reports, Elias Rodriguez, a young resident of Chicago, Illinois, is believed to be responsible for the shooting.

Elias Rodriguez, @PSLchicago and BLM activist ? pic.twitter.com/sH8p7Rz995

— SwordOfSalomon (@SwordOfSalomon) May 22, 2025

Social media users circulated images from a Liberation News article as potential evidence of Rodriguez's organizational affiliations and participation in pro-Gaza demonstrations.

Multiple unconfirmed social media posts have attempted to establish connections between Rodriguez and the Chicago chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The posts emerged shortly after authorities released the suspect's identity and hometown information. According to reports in national media outlets, Rodriguez had previously participated in pro-Gaza demonstrations across the country.

Video: Yoni Kalin speaks about the incident / Credit: Social media

Social media users circulated images from a Liberation News article as potential evidence of Rodriguez's organizational affiliations. One such post questioned: "Is this him? Elias Rodriguez of Chicago – Party for Socialism & Liberation. Fully investigate that organization."

Witness Yoni Kalin on Fox5 shares more details:

Rodriguez was let in by security guards, he asked for cops & when they arrived he admitted crime.

"He grabbed a red kaffiyeh out of his pocket and started 'Free Palestine' chant, 'there's only one solution, Intifada revolution.'" pic.twitter.com/8fayT8jTaA

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) May 22, 2025

The Liberation News piece discusses the 2014 police killing of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, where someone identified as Elias Rodriguez stated, "the murder of Laquan McDonald and the Chicago bid for an Amazon headquarters are not two separate issues, but rather they are both connected." Investigators have not yet verified whether the individual quoted represents the same person arrested in connection with the Washington shooting.

The scene of the attack against Israeli Embassy workers in Washington DC, May 22, 2025 (Inset: the suspect being arrested) / EPA/Will Oliver

Eyewitnesses claimed that minutes after the shooting, they saw the young man enter the museum building saying, "I saw what happened, I need water and a safe place." Shortly afterward, when police entered the building, Rodriguez pulled out a keffiyeh and began shouting slogans including "There is only one solution, intifada, revolution," a chant commonly associated with far-left activists.

Video: The arrest of the suspect at the scene of the killing / Credit: Social media

A brief video from the scene shows Rodriguez dressed in a suit and wearing glasses, already in police custody but continuing to shout "Free Palestine" toward the camera. He was taken for questioning by Washington police.

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