"Absolute gut-wrenching sadness and anger": People pay tribute to Israeli diplomats outside White House

Washington, DC [US], May 23 : Several people from various walks of life gathered outside the White House to pay tribute to Israeli Embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot dead outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.
People held a vigil outside the White House, organised by a friend of the victims.

The people gathered there prayed for the deceased. They expressed concern over the safety of Jews in the US.


People gathered in large numbers at the solemn occasion to pay tributes to the Israeli diplomats. They waved flags of Israel and the US.
Speaking to ANI, Lisa Kagel, who was there to pay tribute to the couple, said that the Jewish community is sad and angry about how the young couple was killed in the US. Kagel mentioned that she is constantly chased as she wears a Magen David and yellow hostage ribbon.

She said, "I heard about it almost immediately last night when it happened. I'm pretty connected to the embassy and the people at the embassy, and my first reaction was, oh no, do I know them? Initially, we heard that there was one person dead in multiple casualties, and then we learned as the night unfolded that this young couple was murdered in cold blood while leaving an event that was actually to discuss additional humanitarian aid to Gaza, and then we learned more over the hours that they were both peace activists, who worked for unity amongst Arabs and Israelis."

When asked about the sentiment among the Jewish community regarding the incident, she responded, "Its gone back and forth all day long. Initially, it was just absolute gut-wrenching sadness, then anger because this has been going on in DC and in all the cities across America and the West for 20 months and I personally, I spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill and I'm chased constantly because I wear a magendavid and because I wear a yellow hostage ribbon and because I show my Judaism proudly. So, you know, the community, I'm very connected to the Jewish and Israeli community here and we've just gone through so many different emotions throughout the day. Obviously, it's mostly just absolute sadness that these two young lives were taken so so early and senselessly."

She also expressed concern over the safety of Jews in the US. When asked whether she is concerned over safety of Jews in the US, Kagel said, "Absolutely. I have been for a very long time, even before October 7th. I've been calling it out for over a decade in this area in my children's schools locally, am I more concerned now? Absolutely, because what are we seeing all over the internet after last night? We're seeing people calling to kill the Zionists on the internet blatantly, kill the Jews."
Another Israeli-American woman, Sigal, called the incident "pure anti-semitism" and said that it hurts each member of the community. She stated that the Jewish community did not imagine that the world would not support the victims. She stated that Jewish community is feeling afraid in the US.
Sigal said, "I've been living in this community for about 20 years. We have some personal contact with the people who are deceased, but this is not about that. It's not about being a Zionist or Jewish or being affiliated with the government or not. This is pure anti-Semitism and it hurts each and every member of the community. We are one people. What we endure since October 7, we never imagine what will come after. We never imagined that the whole world going to not support the victims and come after us."

Sigal said that the incident that took place on Wednesday was not the first time that the Jewish community has been attacked. She said that the couple was killed just because they were Jewish. She mentioned that they are not speaking Hebrew when they travel in a cab and have taken off their necklaces with the Magen David.
When asked whether there were concerns amongst the Jewish community as the young couple was shot dead, she responded, "Although we saw it coming because for a year and a half we've been screaming, we've been saying about the rising anti-semitism. We saw the acts. We go in and we're standing in front of the Qatar embassy. We are going to the Israeli embassy supporting Israeli embassy when they're being ambushed by encapement of the poor Hamas. We were there to support them. And we saw the acts, we hear the voices, the words, the threatened. Although all that what happened yesterday is another level, Washington DC, although it's not the first time and we had other attacks on Jewish communities. But on the name of freeing some people to kill two innocents who got nothing to do being Israelis, nobody asks them if they are Israelis. They are the pure evil executed just because they are Jewish and this is what we are all thinking now."
"I'm thinking about my family. I'm thinking about my boys in college because I see what's happening in college. I'm thinking about my brothers and sisters here. We are afraid to go around. We don't want to be afraid. We want to be strong and resilient, and to say yes, we are not going to stop. But the reality is that when we go to Uber, we stop speaking Hebrew, that's our reality. The reality is that we take off all our necklaces with Magen David with the star of David, that is our reality. When we sit in a restaurant, we are wondering if we are being watched by others. When we go to a quiet, peaceful protest. When we walk to our car, we see who is following us to see our driving licence plate. Yes, we are afraid. I have a mezuzah on my door, I'm ashamed to say that in one second I was thinking, should I still leave it there and I'm ashamed to say it and I did not, but yes, we are afraid. I'm not afraid to say we are afraid. Why? because we need protection because what America came to, this is outrageous and all the nice words that all the government people say and the mayor of DC. We saw it coming. We were screaming for a year and a half and the feds and the DC Police Department and the mayor of DC and everybody around Maryland and around Virginia, no this is not our job to deal with. Yes, we are afraid," she added.
She said that people gathered there were praying for unity. She stated, "When we gather together as Jewish people and we always value life, morality and life and peace. So, we have a lot of prayers. talk about that. We also have prayers, and this is what we've been singing about unity. So, as a people we unite in strength, not in war, in love, not in hate. So, we sing songs of God, make us strong, unite. God, please help us overcome our grief and give peace for the deceased. This is the songs of usually praise for God, for help and comfort and unity among our people."
She mentioned that she did not know the couple personally. However, she came here to pay tribute to them.
When asked whether she knew the couple personally, she responded, "I did not know them personally. I saw them a few times because I had some business with the embassy, I'm not an employee of the embassy, but we are all one community and when somebody hurts one of us, it hurts all of us. So it's even if I was not connected somehow with the embassy, it doesn't matter. I would still be here."
Reza Farnud, Iranian-American, who paid tribute to the couple said that Israel and Iran both have been surrounded by terrorists. He urged US President Donald Trump not to negotiate with terrorists.

He said, "Although it was two very young innocent Jewish were killed, but humanity has been attacked. And we all have to get together regardless of Jewish or non-Jewish, and we have to fight back. We have to stand together, stop this criminals."
When asked about the sentiment amongst the Jewish community, he said, "Well, same as Israel has been surrounded by terrorists. The country Iran has also been captured and hostaged by terrorists for the past 46 years and we all shared the same issues and problems and we need to stop this. We are asking President Trump if he can, if we will, pay attention to this and make sure no negotiation with terrorists. Playing with fire or catching fire is not going to work."
Two staff members from the Embassy of Israel were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.The suspect, whom DC police identified as 30-year-old Chicago native Elias Rodriguez, pretended to be a bystander after the shooting, CNN reported, citing an eyewitness.
According to CNN, when police arrived, the man turned himself in and shouted "Free, Free Palestine" while being handcuffed. He is currently in custody, according to authorities. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said the man "implied that he committed the offense."
Authorities are investigating possible motives, including terrorism and antisemitism, although the full context behind his actions remains under review. A solemn atmosphere surrounded the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, workplace of the attacked couple. Israel's national flag at the embassy flew at half-staff. The building remains secured with heightened police surveillance, maintaining a perimeter.