(NewsNation) — Jewish and city leaders from Chicago on Friday condemned the Wednesday night shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.
The suspected shooter, Elias Rodriguez, lived and worked in Chicago. Rodriguez allegedly shot and killed Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a couple soon to be engaged, outside the Capitol Jewish Museum on Wednesday.
Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest and told police that he was the one who “did it,” according to charging documents. He’s been charged with first-degree murder.
“No hedging, no buts, no caveats, no linguistic contortionism. There are no two sides to Wednesday’s hate-fueled murders in Washington, D.C.,” said David Goldenberg, the Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, during a Friday morning news conference.
Goldenberg called the attack an “act of pure, unadulterated antisemitism, full stop.” He later added that, “Saying ‘free, free Palestine’ in and of itself is not antisemitic … Just because you’re pro-Palestinian doesn’t mean you’re pro-Hamas,” and said the line is drawn when speech turns hateful and when violence occurs.
Israeli embassy shooting suspect likely ‘radicalized’ in Chicago: Alderwoman
Chicago Alderwoman Debra Silverstein on Friday called the act of violence “not just a national tragedy,” but a “local wake-up call,” adding that Rodriguez was likely “radicalized right here in our city.”
“While there’s no threat to the local Jewish community, we are not taking any chances,” Silverstein said. She said Jewish institutions around the city are seeing increased security.
Jewish missions across the nation heightened their security in the wake of the killings. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the shooting a “gut-punch” to Israel on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.“
President Donald Trump, who appointed Huckabee, wrote on social media, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
The shooting comes after Israel launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations said no aid entering Gaza in the past week has reached Palestinians, as hospitals are overwhelmed with malnourished children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.