After D.C. Jewish Museum Shooting, Calls to Combat Antisemitism Intensify

The warning signs were present, and the potential for violence was clear. Tragically, two young lives have been lost.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a young couple, were killed as they left a Young Diplomats event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. They had plans to get engaged in Jerusalem the following week.

As Elias Rodriguez, the suspect charged with first-degree murder and other offenses, was apprehended, he shouted a phrase that has been frequently heard across America over the past year and a half. This chant has appeared not only at political gatherings but also outside synagogues, schools, hospitals, and cultural institutions that share a connection to the Jewish community.

The suspect’s alleged involvement with various radical causes is not surprising. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has linked Rodriguez, a Chicago resident, to a manifesto titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home” with a high degree of confidence. This confirms suspicions that the violence was targeted antisemitism, not random. It was an attack against all Jewish Americans, not just the D.C. Jewish community, and indeed all Americans. The tragic aspect is that this type of murderous incident seemed inevitable.

The data clearly shows this.

Last year saw the highest number of antisemitic incidents since the ADL began tracking them over four decades ago. There were 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States, a 5% increase from the record-setting year of 2023. This includes a 21% rise in violent assaults, representing an 893% increase over the past decade.

Just six weeks prior, the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was targeted while his family slept after celebrating the first Passover seder. The suspect then called 911, referred to Shapiro using an antisemitic slur, and blamed him for Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war. The alleged perpetrator reportedly told authorities that he harbored “hatred” for Shapiro and would have attacked him with a hammer if given the opportunity.

Six months earlier, the FBI arrested a man from Gainesville, Fla., after a traffic stop revealed multiple firearms in his rideshare vehicle. Authorities believe he intended to travel to the south Florida offices of AIPAC, a pro-Israel advocacy group, with the intent of harming people, possibly in a suicide attack.

That same week, FBI agents in Fairfax, Va., arrested an Egyptian citizen and George Mason University student. According to the affidavit, Hassan operated several pro-ISIS and Al Qaeda accounts that promoted violence against Jews. He was reportedly planning a mass casualty attack at the Israeli consulate in New York City.

Hardly a day goes by without witnessing antisemitism. Jewish children are harassed in public spaces, students are intimidated on college campuses, and Jews are harassed while walking to synagogue. Jewish businesses and homes are vandalized with symbols, slurs, or political slogans. Jewish people are relentlessly attacked and mocked on social media.

The country faces an antisemitism crisis. This age-old hatred exists across the political spectrum, thrives in social media, and is fueled by those who excuse it as merely “anti-Zionism.” They dismiss concerns as attempts to serve other agendas and contort themselves to defend free speech, even when it incites violence, antisemitism, and harassment.

This has consequences.

When antisemitic rhetoric becomes commonplace, tolerated, or amplified, it creates an environment where violence against Jews is not only probable but inevitable. When society permits false accusations of genocide against the Jewish state, when prominent figures dismiss antisemitism or encourage unrest as youthful expression, and when the public conflates opposition to Hamas with anti-Palestinian sentiment, there are consequences.

Social media platforms also warrant increased scrutiny. Following the attack against Jewish sports fans in Amsterdam last November, Hasan Piker, a popular Twitch streamer, appeared to downplay the incident. Earlier this month, the rapper Kanye ‘Ye’ West streamed a song called “Heil Hitler” and promoted it on X, where it remained accessible.

In these times, the Jewish community needs allies. Where are the voices of those who claim to fight all forms of hatred? Why do those who speak out against other forms of bigotry remain silent when Jews are targeted? This silence is deafening. Stop excusing it. Stop ignoring it.

This attack must serve as a wake-up call for the nation to address the rising tide of hate.

This moment demands moral clarity. All Americans, regardless of political affiliation, must condemn antisemitism without reservation. Leaders in government, academia, business, and civic life must take concrete action against hate. Each individual must speak out against antisemitism in all its forms.

Every unchallenged antisemitic statement, every double standard applied to Jews and the Jewish state, and every instance of minimizing Jewish pain contribute to an environment where such violence becomes possible.

Yaron and Sarah deserved better. They deserved to live and celebrate their engagement. They deserved a future. Instead, they became victims of the oldest hatred. We owe it to their memory to prevent further loss of life due to antisemitism. We owe it to every Jew to create a society where attending a Jewish event does not make them a target.

The time for action is now. The stakes are high.

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