US, Israeli leaders condemn “Antisemitic” killing of embassy staff in DC

Shafaq News/ US and Israeli officials condemned, on Thursday, the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, DC, describing it as a deliberate act of antisemitic violence.

The victims, a couple reportedly planning to get engaged, were gunned down Wednesday night after leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, located in a heavily secured area near the FBI’s Washington field office and the US attorney’s headquarters. Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith identified the shooter as Elias Rodriguez, 30, who was arrested without resistance. Authorities believe he had been waiting outside the museum before opening fire.

Eyewitness Sara Marinuzzi, 28, told CNN the attacker initially pretended to be a bystander, recounting, “He told security to call the police. When officers arrived, he confessed, yelling, ‘I did it, I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!’”

The killings drew swift international backlash. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the shooting “a despicable act of hatred,” vowing continued unity with the US. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned it underscored “the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel.”

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called it “an attack on Israel, the Jewish community, and the United States,” urging global leaders to move from statements to action. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar pledged Israel would not be intimidated by violence, while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich labeled the shooting part of broader efforts to “erase Israel’s legitimacy.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and opposition leader Benny Gantz both linked the attack to a global surge in “antisemitic rhetoric.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump denounced the act on Truth Social, noting, “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the shooting as “a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it “senseless,” and Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to prosecute the suspect “to the fullest extent of the law.”