On May 21, 2025, two young Israeli diplomats—Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim, 26—were gunned down outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., just steps from the Israeli Embassy.

They were attending a diplomatic event. They were public servants. Furthermore, they were in love, planning to get engaged in Jerusalem. Now they’re gone—murdered in cold blood, simply because they were Jewish.

The shooter, Elias Rodriguez, shouted “Free Palestine” during his arrest and later told police, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.” This was not random. This was not senseless. It was a deliberate hate crime—and a domestic terrorist attack.

Yet, federal authorities have not formally charged Rodriguez with terrorism or a hate crime.

 
This Is Personal
As Jews in America, we are tired of watching our community be targeted—at synagogues, schools, kosher markets, and now, embassies—while our justice system fails to act swiftly or decisively.

I remember after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting how afraid I was to wear my kippah in public. That fear hasn’t gone away. Yaron and Sarah’s murder proves why.

 
Why This Matters
If any other minority group had been targeted outside a cultural or national institution, federal charges would already be filed. The Jewish community deserves equal protection under the law.

Under U.S. law:

Domestic terrorism includes violence intended to intimidate or coerce civilians for ideological purposes.
Hate crimes punish violent acts driven by bias against race, religion, or national origin.
Rodriguez’s motives are not in question—he stated them himself. This case meets the legal definition of both terrorism and a hate crime.

 
The Facts
📌 Jews are the target of over 50% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S., despite making up only about 2% of the population (FBI, 2023).

📌 In 2024, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reached record highs, with over 8,000 documented attacks, threats, and harassment (ADL).

📌 The victims, Yaron and Sarah, were not just diplomats. They were symbols of peace, coexistence, and Jewish life in America.

 
We Demand:
That Elias Rodriguez be officially charged with domestic terrorism, recognizing the political and ideological nature of the attack.
That federal hate crime charges be added to reflect the antisemitic motive behind this act.
 
Sign This Petition
We ask the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to uphold the law and apply it equally.

This was terrorism. This was hate. This was murder rooted in antisemitism.

Justice must be swift. Justice must be equal. Sign now to demand it.