Two staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, were killed Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said.
“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” Noem said in a post on X. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share.”
Two people believed to be connected to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, were shot Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum, according to a source familiar with the situation and a law enforcement source. Another law enforcement source told CNN that two people were killed.
DC Police said its investigating a shooting across the street from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which is located near the museum. The Israeli embassy is working with law enforcement.
The Israeli ambassador was not involved in the incident and was not at the location when the shooting happened, an embassy spokesperson told CNN.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on social media that she and acting US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro have arrived to the scene of the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
Ted Deutch, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said his organization was hosting an event at the museum on Wednesday evening.
“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” he said in a statement. “At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon reacted to media reports of the shooting on Wednesday, saying in a statement on X, “The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC – in which Israeli embassy employees were also injured – is a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
Police are advising people to avoid the area in Northwest DC.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
I'm... Gonna hold off on forming an opinion on this one, because there absolutely still are actual neonazis out there and they fucking LOVE co-opting pro-palestinian causes. Sure, the pro-israel crowd are going to call it antisemitic either way, but if they're right this time I don't want to be on the wrong side/give them ammo. As long as we don't cheer on actual antisemitism it's easy for thoughtful people to see through their propaganda but I feel like cheering on actual neonazi violence really erodes good faith. Also I just don't want to be saying a literal neonazi attack is good (call me crazy). It's easy to think antisemitism is over/superseded by islamophobia but the tree of life shooting wasn't that long ago.
Don't bother worrying about "giving them ammo" they'll make shit up to justify whatever they were going to do anyway
Of course they will, but when the ammo is literally cheering on antisemitic violence I would still rather not give it to them.
It's being reported the shooter was Elias Rodriguez. It's probable he was a long time PSL member. There's an Elias Rodriguez of the same age in the same city whose appearance matches that is.
He wore a red keffiyeh and shouted "Free, Free Palestine" as he was being arrested.
sources: 1 , 2
Good stuff! Still don't love propaganda of the deed but I'll be damned if it doesn't feel good when someone hits back at these soulless freaks.
Via BBC:
Ah, that's that good shit. All the usual misgivings about propaganda of the deed on a strategic/tactical level but still good to see someone striking back. Make fascists afraid again.