“You killed peace activists”: a love story that is interrupted by hate outside of a DC Museum

Yaron Lischinsky (30) and Sarah Milgrim (26), two ascending stars in the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, were shot down outside the Jewish Museum of Capital on Wednesday evening – shortly before they got engaged to Jerusalem during a planned trip.The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old from Chicago, supposedly called “Free Palestine!” during and after shooting. He was charged with several federal crimes, including the murder of foreign civil servants.Why is it importantThe couple were not high -ranking diplomats. But their history – one of inter -religious love, bridges and a common commitment to peace – has shocked and destroyed the communities in the USA, Israel and beyond.“You killed the peace activists,” Melanie Robbins from The Atlantic Council told Palestine and who worked with Lischinsky, told Wall Street Journal.Her deaths underline the human costs for rising global tensions, especially if anti -Semitism tips and the war in Gaza continue to ignite passions and rhetoric.The big pictureSince the attack of the Hamas from October 7, 2023, 1,200 people were killed and led to a massive military reaction of Israel, over 53,000 Palestinians have been reported in accordance with the Hamas Ministry of Health of GAZA. According to Israel, over 400 of his soldiers died in Gaza.The murders in DC come in the middle of a wave pro -Palestinian protests, increasing anti -Semitic incidents and polarized political rhetoric – including the top US and Israeli officials.“These terrible DC murders, which are obviously based on anti -Semitism, now have to end!” President Donald Trump said about the social truth.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the shooter as “terrorist who wanted to kill all Jews” and added: “Yaron and Sarah were not the victims of a random crime.”Between the linesThis was not just a hate crime. It was a targeted strike against young specialists whose lives symbolized tolerance and dialogue.

Yaron Lischinsky

Born in Jerusalem, partly grew up in Germany and returned to Israel at 16 when he called his Aliyah.As a pious Christian with a Jewish father, Lischinsky was connected to both identities as deeply patriotic and spiritual.He held the double German-Israeli citizenship and completed the Hebrew University and the Reichman University with degrees in international relations and government.“He embodied the Jewish-Christian values ​​and gave an example of young people worldwide,” said Ron Prosor, the former ambassador of Israel, and one of Lischinsky's mentors.Yaron had recently bought a engagement ring and informed friends that he would suggest Jerusalem during her upcoming trip.“I think I'll do that there,” he said to his friend Hussein Aboubakr Mansour the day before his death, said the WSJ report.He worked tirelessly at the message, including the review of disruptive film material from the attacks on October 7 and the entry for the re -entry for a Gazan with US state citizenship.“The smile you see in the photo – he always looked like this,” said Mansour. “This is a tragedy for his family, for DC, for Israel.”

Sarah Milgrim

Growing up in Prairie Village, Kansas, she had long been active in her Jewish community and driven by a passion for peace and justice.She experienced early anti -Semitism – from swastikas on her high school to a shootout from 2014 in a local Jewish community center that left three dead.“I'm worried that I go to my synagogue, and now I have to take care of the security in my school,” she said in 2017 to a television station from Kansas City. “And that shouldn't be a thing.”She studied environmental sciences at the University of Kansas, volunteered in Israel with Tech2peace and acquired a master in international affairs at American University. Their work included the cooperation of the climate, peace consolidation and interreligious diplomacy.“She came here to promote peace,” Tech2peace -CEO Esti Rozenfeld told CNN. “She was so proud of her Judaism,” added the roommate of College, Amanda Birger. “She made me be more Jewish.”

Zoom in: the night of the attack

The couple left a private event organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and focused on multi-shiny humanitarian efforts for Gaza. The location was kept secret for security reasons.The surveillance material shows Rodriguez, which goes outside before opening the fire on the group. The public prosecutor claims that he had fired additional rounds after the victims fell and then reloaded.According to reports, Rodriguez then entered the museum, explained that he was unarmed and told the police: “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”“This is a terrible crime,” said the preliminary US lawyer Jeanine Pirro. “We will not tolerate anti -Semitism – especially in the capital of the nation.”What's nextRodriguez remains in federal custody and could face the death penalty. The FBI examines the case as a hate crime and as a terrorist act.The authorities also check a number of writings, which are assumed that they are – references to a member of the US Air Force, which set on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in early 2024.Messages worldwide intensify security, and Jewish communities in the USA are apart with new fear.“It's not just a personal tragedy – it's a public,” Prof. Nissim Otmazgin from the Hebrew University told CNN. “Yaron symbolized Israel's hope.”What you say

The end resultSarah and Yaron's life – full of love, purpose and hope – were broken off violently. But her memory is now a symbol of what is at stake in an increasingly split world: the dream of peace, which is not only built through politics, but through relationships, dialogue and human dignity.“You didn't just get to work and go,” said Michal Greenfield from Tech2peace to CNN. “You are part of the community.”(With entries from agencies)