Two Israeli embassy employees shot dead in Washington

Two employees of the Israeli embassy were shot and killed by Elias Rodriguez, who shouted ‘Free, free Palestine,’ in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. Photo: Screengrab from video/SM/via iKurd.net

WASHINGTON,— Two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot dead Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum, according to law enforcement officials. Authorities have arrested a suspect who shouted pro-Palestinian slogans upon his detention.

The shooting took place shortly after 7 p.m. near the entrance of the museum, located a few blocks from Capitol Hill. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the victims, a man and a woman, were part of a group leaving a private event when they were approached by the gunman.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, reportedly loitered outside the venue before opening fire. According to Smith, Rodriguez entered the museum after the attack and was subdued by on-site security personnel.

“He was pacing outside the location prior to the incident,” Chief Smith said during a news briefing. “Once inside, he began shouting, ‘Free, free Palestine’ as he was taken into custody.”

There was no immediate indication of additional threats in the area, police said. The FBI and other federal agencies are assisting the investigation.

The Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, confirmed the victims were young embassy staff members who were in a relationship and planning an engagement. “The young man had purchased a ring earlier this week with the intention of proposing in Jerusalem,” he said.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaking from the scene alongside U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, stated the Department of Justice would pursue charges in the case. Authorities did not provide details on the suspect’s motive beyond the statements he made during his arrest.

Two Israeli embassy employees shot dead in Washington — Emergency personnel work at the site where, according to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., U.S. May 21, 2025. Photo: Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump responded on his social media platform early Thursday, denouncing the incident as driven by antisemitism. “These horrible D.C. killings must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” he posted, offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also commented on the attack, calling it an “act of hate” and a tragic loss for Israel’s diplomatic community.

“We mourn these two young lives lost and send strength to their families and colleagues,” he said in a statement. “America and Israel will remain united against violence and terror.”

The shooting comes amid heightened tensions across the Middle East. Israel is currently conducting a military operation against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, launched in response to a deadly cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, that resembled those carried out by the Islamic State group.

Israeli authorities say 1,200 people, mostly civilians including dozens of children, were killed in that initial assault and hundreds taken hostage. Many Israeli women were raped and sexually assaulted by Hamas militants.

In retaliation, Israeli military actions in Gaza have resulted in significant casualties and widespread displacement.

Israel reports over 25,000 militants have been killed, while local figures from Gaza, governed by Hamas, claim civilian deaths have surpassed 53,000—numbers that remain unverified by independent sources.

Inside the museum during the incident, witnesses Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher said they heard gunfire and saw a man enter, appearing disoriented. “People offered him water and comfort, thinking he was in distress,” Kalin said. “Only later did we realize he was the shooter.”

According to Kalin, the museum event had focused on humanitarian aid and interfaith dialogue. “The irony of someone responding to that message by committing murder is hard to understand,” he said.

Over the years, Israeli diplomats have repeatedly been the targets of violent attacks, carried out not just by radical individuals but often backed by hostile regimes and Arab Islamist extremists. These attackers have waged a campaign of bloodshed for decades, all rooted in their refusal to accept the existence of Israel since it was established in 1948.

Instead of building anything productive, these Islamist factions have chosen the path of terror, demanding land they lost in a war they started. They want Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem handed to them for a so-called “future state”—territories that Israel lawfully took in 1967 after defending itself from aggression.

Yet, as many observers point out, no nation or cause has ever succeeded by blowing up buses, launching rockets, or murdering civilians. Terrorism has never brought them closer to peace or legitimacy—only to more misery and failure.

A pregnant Israeli woman was brutally shot dead by a Palestinian gunman late Wednesday night in the West Bank while she was on her way to the hospital to give birth, according to Israeli officials.

Officials said the cowardly attack—targeting a defenseless mother on the verge of giving life—is yet another example of the ruthless violence perpetrated by Arab Islamist extremists against innocent Israeli civilians.

(With files from AP | Agencies)