Trending 
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he had instructed an immediate increase in security at Israeli diplomatic posts worldwide following the fatal shooting of two embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC.
The suspected attacker reportedly shouted “free Palestine” before opening fire late Wednesday near the Capital Jewish Museum during a social event attended by young professionals and diplomats. Video footage circulating online showed the alleged gunman being detained while repeating the pro-Palestinian slogan.
The victims, identified by Israel’s foreign ministry as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, an American, were both staff members at the Israeli embassy and were said to be a couple planning to marry soon.
In response to the incident, Netanyahu said he had ordered increased protection for Israeli diplomats and consular staff worldwide. “We are witnessing the horrifying cost of antisemitism and the rampant incitement against the State of Israel,” he stated.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also condemned the attack, saying it was fuelled by a rising tide of antisemitic and anti-Israeli rhetoric. He further claimed that leaders in European governments and international organisations bear some responsibility.
“There is a direct link between this murder and the ongoing incitement against Jews and Israel,” Saar told journalists. “Many officials in Europe have contributed to this hostile climate.”
The attack comes amid mounting international scrutiny over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the worsening humanitarian crisis there, which has drawn criticism particularly from European countries.
Saar said Israeli flags would be lowered to half-mast at diplomatic missions globally and vowed the country would not bow to terrorism.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the shooting as a “despicable act of hatred and antisemitism” and said the United States and Israel would remain united. “We will stand strong together in defence of our people,” he said. “Terror and hate will not break us.”
Reactions also came from the far-right wing of the Israeli government, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich drawing parallels between Wednesday’s shooting and the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 that sparked the current conflict in Gaza.
“The same burning antisemitic hatred lies at the root of both,” Smotrich wrote on Telegram. “For thousands of years, attempts have been made to annihilate the Jewish people. They have always failed — and they always will.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, blaming internal critics of Israel’s war policy for fuelling antisemitism abroad. He claimed such figures “encourage antisemites around the world” by portraying the Israeli army as indiscriminate killers.
Ben Gvir’s remarks appeared to target left-wing politician and former general Yair Golan, who recently warned that Israel risked becoming a “pariah state” and accused the government of behaving in ways that tarnished its global reputation.
Responding to the tragedy on Thursday, Golan said it was Netanyahu’s government that was stoking hostility towards Jews worldwide. “It is this far-right administration that is endangering Jewish lives and deepening Israel’s diplomatic isolation,” he posted on X.
