D.C. Embassy Shooting Sparks Fear: Antisemitism Hits Too Close for Jewish Americans

The tragic shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, outside the Capital Jewish Museum has sent shockwaves through America’s Jewish community, already on edge after a year of escalating antisemitism. This isn’t just a distant tragedy—it’s a gut punch to the heart of our nation’s capital, where hatred has found a deadly foothold.

Yuval David, a Jewish activist and filmmaker based in D.C., spoke with raw emotion about the murders, which hit painfully close to home. “This is too close for every Jew in America,” he said, noting he was just blocks away when the attack occurred. “Our synagogues, schools, and businesses have ramped-up security, but it’s clearly not enough when two lives are stolen in broad daylight.”

David met Lischinsky just a day before the attack, discussing the rise of Islamism in the West. The irony stings: Lischinsky wasn’t even Jewish, yet he was targeted in an attack on a Jewish institution. “All it takes is being perceived as Jewish to be at risk,” David warned, pointing to a broader epidemic of hate that’s been ignored for far too long.

The numbers back him up. The ADL’s 2024 antisemitism audit logged 151 incidents in D.C. alone, a stark reminder that this isn’t new. David himself has faced venom on these streets—yelled at, spat on—simply for being Jewish. “This isn’t just anti-Israel rhetoric; it’s anti-Jewish hatred dressed up in political excuses,” he said, calling out the flimsy justifications haters use.

But this isn’t just about one community. David’s message is clear: these attacks are an assault on America itself. “People say ‘America next,’ but the truth is, it’s happening here now,” he said, urging the nation to wake up to the spreading poison of hatred before more lives are lost.