US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) holds a press conference in the US Capitol in Washington, DC, April 23, 2024. Photo: Annabelle Gordon / CNP/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect

In the aftermath of the murders of two Israeli embassy employees, US lawmakers have rushed to issue statements condemning the shooting and offering condolences to the families of the victims. 

Two Israeli embassy workers were brutally slain Wednesday night in Washington, DC, in what authorities are investigating as a targeted attack. The victims — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim — were shot while exiting an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) at the Capital Jewish Museum. Lischinsky and Milgrim were also a couple, and Lischinsky planned to propose marriage to Milgrim soon, according to Israeli officials. The suspected murderer, Elias Rodriguez, was recorded screaming “free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody by officers.

Lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum immediately condemned the murder of Lischinsky and Milgrim. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of the most strident supporters of Israel in Congress, repudiated the attacks and argued that pro-Hamas protesters that utter phrases such as “globalize the intifada” embolden acts of terror against Jews. 

“When you repeat slogans like ‘globalize the intifada,’ you are inciting violence against Jews in the United States and around the world,” Torres said.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) posted on social media that the shooting is “unbelievable and appears to be a targeted, antisemitic attack.”

“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who died or were injured in this senseless violence,” Fetterman continued. 

Leo Terrell — head of the Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, a newly formed unit within the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division — wrote that the shooting “reflects a systemic crisis of antisemitism — seen in the shooter’s hatred, the failure to enforce hate crime statutes, the institutions that helped shape him, and the media narratives that normalize or excuse antisemitism.”

Rep. Pramilla Jayapal (D-WA), a progressive and vocal critic of Israel, wrote that the murders of the Israeli embassy employees represent “senseless, unacceptable violence.”

“I condemn it absolutely. Antisemitism is wrong. Full stop. My heart goes out to all those affected,” Jayapal wrote.

Lee Zeldin, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), shared a picture of Milgrim and revealed that he met her two weeks before her assassination. 

“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. Heartbroken to learn she was one of two tragically murdered last night by a Jew-hating radical screaming ‘Free Palestine,'” Zeldin wrote. 

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the Democratic Senate leader, argued that the shooting reflects the rising surge of antisemitism across the country. 

“This sickening shooting seems to be another horrific instance of antisemitism which as we know is all too rampant in our society,” Schumer said. “I’m praying for those who were killed, all those affected, and their families.”

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) wrote that she will “continue to work to push back against antisemitism, and we must all disavow these violent, hateful, antisemitic murders.”

Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) added that “this attack must be strongly condemned.”

“Having worked in diplomacy and in embassies abroad before, I am further disgusted by the targeting of embassy personnel on American soil. My heart goes out to the families of the victims, the Israeli embassy staff, the American Jewish Committee who hosted the event, and others who were present,” Kim said.

Some of the most strident critics of Israel in the US Congress expressed sympathy for the victims and condemned their murder. 

“The murder of two Israeli embassy staff outside an [American Jewish Committee] event in DC is unconscionable and unacceptable. Our freedoms and our destinies are truly tied. I’m praying for the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) wrote. 

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), another vocal critic of Israel, said she was “appalled” by the Wednesday night murders.

“I am appalled by the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum last night,” she said. “Holding the victims, their families, and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers. Violence should have no place in our country.”

Omar has come under immense criticism for her anti-Israel rhetoric. The lawmaker has called for an arms embargo to be placed on Israel and declared the Jewish state’s defensive military operations in Gaza a “genocide.” She has also claimed that Jewish colleges students who support Israel are “pro-genocide.” 

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a lawmaker who has condemned the ongoing war in Gaza, wrote that he is “appalled by the vile attack on those attending an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, that has taken the lives of 2 Israeli Embassy aides. I’m praying for them & their loved ones.”

“This is a horrific act of violence and antisemitism & the perpetrator must be brought to justice,” Van Hollen continued. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said that “absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents.”

“I am devastated by the killing of two people outside an [American Jewish Committee] event here in Washington. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and loved ones of all impacted,” she added.

Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most prominent progressives in Congress, has sharpened her criticisms of Israel in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel. She condemned Israel’s response as “genocide” and has called for an arms embargo to be placed on the Jewish state. 

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian American in Congress, also said her “heart breaks” for the two victims of the shooting. 

“My heart breaks for the loved ones of the victims of last night’s attack in DC. Nobody deserves such terrible violence. Everyone in our communities deserves to live in safety and in peace,” Tlaib wrote.

Tlaib’s conduct in the months following the Hamas-led massacre throughout Israel has incensed Jewish communities across the country. The progressive firebrand was slow to condemn the Oct. 7 massacre. However, she was among the first lawmakers to condemn Israel’s response and declare its military operations a “genocide.” She has called for sanctions and a full arms embargo to be placed on the Jewish state. Moreover, she has served as a distinguished guest and speaker at multiple conferences that hosted members of terrorist groups.