Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, pose for a picture at an unknown location, in this handout image released by Embassy of Israel to the U.S. on May 22, 2025. Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS

It’s no coincidence that two Israeli embassy staffers attending an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event were murdered outside Washington DC’s Jewish museum by a man shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was taken into police custody.

The motive was clear, but the media dropped the ball. Several headlines suggested that Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were killed in a random shooting when this was anything but.

Reuters, for one, portrayed the horrific incident as a mere city crime that took an unfortunate turn. They couldn’t bring themselves to state outright in the headline that it was a specifically motivated and targeted attack on Jews at a Jewish event.

Hey, @Reuters, it’s an antisemitic attack on a specifically Jewish target, not a mugging gone wrong.

The gunman shot dead Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim outside the Jewish Museum. pic.twitter.com/ixWoAPOaoa

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025

TheBBC was no different — whitewashing, downplaying, and denying the antisemitic and anti-Israel motive for the attack — shameful, given the perpetrator clearly shouted a “free Palestine” slogan on video.

In a later “analysis,” the BBC’s Yolande Knell even went so far as to effectively blame the murders on Israel’s conduct during its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.

What’s this? Just @BBCNews “analysis” effectively blaming Israel’s conduct for the murder of its two embassy staff.

Criticism, however harsh, doesn’t lead to murder. Incitement and hate do.

Disgusting that @YolandeKnell, in justifying evil, can’t tell the difference. pic.twitter.com/3X2QPVH34d

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025

The Daily Beast took its own liberties, making a predictable connection and justification for the brutal killing of the two Israeli embassy staffers to the unfortunate incident in Jenin on Wednesday, where the IDF fired warning shots in the air in the vicinity of a delegation of foreign diplomats who were visiting the area.

There is absolutely nothing that can justify antisemitic violence; the connection to the Jenin incident is beyond a reach.

Is @thedailybeast actually suggesting the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC are a result of an earlier incident in Jenin?

Let’s be clear: There is no justification for their brutal killings. pic.twitter.com/IjCTVZLqRM

— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025

An Anti-Defamation League 2024 report found that antisemitic violence spiked 360% in the US in the year following the brutal Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. As this disturbing trend continues, it’s wrong for the media to play dumb.

In fact, the last thing that one of the victims, Israeli embassy worker Yaron Lischinsky, reposted on his X account was a tweet that reflects the dangerous consequences of irresponsible reporting, blood libels, and disinformation. Ironically, and tragically, he became a victim himself.

May Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky’s memories be a blessing, and serve as a reminder that hatred and violence painted as virtue do not lead to peace.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.