Israelis feel besieged by global antisemitism after Washington attacks

By Dedi Hayun and Emily Rose

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -When Jerusalem resident Ziv Halsband woke up to news that two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington had been killed, the software developer came to a disturbing conclusion: Jews were not safe anywhere.

"We hope that Trump will continue to help us and to protect us all, especially in the States. And we want to be sure that we can go all over the world with confidence," said Halsband, a tank officer during the Gaza war who was seriously wounded.

The Israeli embassy staffers, a young couple about to be engaged, were killed by a lone gunman in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum about 1.3 miles (2 km) from the White House.

The single suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine," after being taken into custody, Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said.

According to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, the shootings were a direct result of "toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world" since Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023.

Saar told a press conference antisemitic incitement was perpetuated by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially Europe.

GAZA WAR

The Hamas attack on Israeli communities near Gaza's border killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages seized, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's ground and air offensive since then has displaced nearly all Gaza's 2.3 million residents and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

The Washington shootings could result in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right partners taking a harder line in the conflict in Gaza, as well as generate sympathy for Israel from Western allies who have been piling pressure on him to ease an aid blockade on the war-ravaged territory.

Wednesday's shootings are also certain to further convulse debate in the U.S. and elsewhere over the war in Gaza, which has polarized steadfast supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Netanyahu said he was shocked at the "horrific antisemitic" murders which he said had taken place in an atmosphere of rising antisemitism and hostility to Israel.

""We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel," he said in a statement.

He has argued throughout the war that criticism should be levelled at Hamas in the war, not at Israel as it tries to protect its citizens and fight growing antisemitism. The leaders of Britain, Canada and France said this week that Israel's recent escalation of the conflict was "wholly disproportionate".

SOCIAL MEDIA

The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were locally employed staff, the Israeli foreign ministry said. They were both trying to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, separate advocacy groups each belonged to said.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, who was the target of a foiled assassination attempt by Iran during his service, said incitement on social media has changed the threat level during a difficult time of pro-Palestinian protests at U.S. university campuses.

"And honestly, we have to think as a country, how we combat this incitement on social media, because it's a serious threat. And what this does is a systematic dehumanization of the Jews, and we know what that leads to," he said.

Some Israelis were especially concerned that the killings took place at the Jewish museum.

"It's a Jewish museum, which means the hatred for Jews and the hatred to Israel both aligned. And it's sad, we should fight it," said Jerusalem resident Udi Tsemach.

Israeli Aviya Levi, 30, came to the conclusion that leaving Israel was too risky.

"I'm an Israeli and it makes me feel like I'm afraid. I'm afraid to go abroad. I'm afraid to. I don't know where we're going to come from. I have kids, it's just going to make me afraid."

(Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and James Mackenzie in Jerusalem; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Alex Richardson)