US President Donald Trump (Shutterstock)
President Donald Trump and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, condemn deadly shooting attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington as an act of antisemitic violence.
By David Rosenberg, World Israel News
American and Israeli leaders condemned the shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside an event at a Washington, D.C. Jewish museum as antisemitic. The gunman shouted “Free, free Palestine” while being placed under arrest.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, 30-year-old Chicago resident Elias Rodriguez opened fire on a group of four people as they exited the Capital Jewish Museum during an event hosted by the museum.
Two staffers at the Israeli embassy were killed during the shooting.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said the victims were a “young couple” who were planning on getting engaged in the near future.
Eyewitness Sara Marinuzzi told CNN that Rodriguez confessed to police during his arrest, linking the attack to the war in Gaza. “I did it, I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!”
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, called the shooting a “depraved act of antisemitic terrorism.”
“Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line. We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world.”
Three hours after the shooting, President Donald Trump denounced the attack, writing on his Truth Social account that it was “obviously” motivated by antisemitism.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog, also described the shooting as an “act of…antisemitism,” calling it “terror and hate.”
“I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C.,” Herzog said Thursday morning. “This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.
“Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered, and our immediate prayers are with the injured. I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff. We stand with the Jewish community in DC and across the US.
“America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Wednesday’s attack “cowardly, antisemitic violence.”
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY-D) said he was “closely monitoring” the “sickening shooting,” which he said “seems to be another horrific instance of antisemitism, which as we know is all too rampant in our society.”
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