April 22, 2026

03b Israel

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The victims of a fatal shooting outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., have been identified as a young couple who worked at the Israeli Embassy and were on the verge of getting engaged.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, and referred to them both as embassy staff members. The Israeli Embassy said the pair were “in the prime of their lives.”

“No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss,” the embassy said in a statement on social media. “Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”

Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., told reporters the pair was a “beautiful couple,” and said Lischinsky had purchased an engagement ring “with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem.” World leaders quickly condemned the slayings.

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World leaders reacted Thursday morning to the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., as the Israeli government blamed the attack on “antisemitic incitement” by other countries, “especially from Europe.”

Washington’s chief of police said the suspect in the attack, identified as a Chicago man, shouted “free, free Palestine,” as he was taken into custody.

The victims were identified as a young couple, Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky.

“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” President Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform. “Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was “shocked by the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington DC.”

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JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused unnamed European officials on Thursday (May 22) of “toxic antisemitic incitement” he blamed for a hostile climate in which the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington took place.

Israel has faced a blizzard of criticism from Europe of late as it has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, where humanitarian groups have warned that an 11-week Israeli blockade on aid supplies has left the Palestinian enclave on the brink of famine.

Saar did not name any countries or officials but said the climate of hostility towards Israel was behind the shooting of the embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim outside a Jewish museum in Washington on Wednesday.

Saar, at a news conference in Jerusalem, said the attack was a direct outcome of “toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world” since Hamas militants’ cross-border attack on Israel in October 2023.

“There is a direct line connecting antisemitic and anti-Israel incitement to this murder,” he said. “This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and organisations, especially from Europe.”

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Radical Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has refused to condemn the shocking murder of two Israeli Embassy staffers on the streets of Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening.

Omar was asked for comments about the fatal shooting by reporters.

However, Omar, the first Somalia-born lawmaker elected to Congress, refused to address the fatal shooting and angrily walked away.

“I’m going to go for now,” Omar told reporters when asked if she would react to the shooting.

WATCH:

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Trump slammed antisemitic hate and offered condolences to the bereaved. Vance extended his prayers for the victims, Christian Israeli Yaron Lischinsky and his girlfriend Sarah Milgrim, along with their families and co-workers.

On Truth Social, Trump posted, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”

Meanwhile, Vance posted a photo of the victims, who were set to be engaged as Yaron had bought an engagement ring, and wrote, “My heart breaks for Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were murdered last night at the Capital Jewish Museum. Antisemitic violence has no place in the United States.” He added, “We’re praying for their families and all of our friends at the Israeli Embassy, where the two victims worked.”

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The student lied about what she was going to say in the speech. Something very similar just happened at NYU.

The Guardian reports:

George Washington University student banned after pro-Palestinian graduation speech

A graduation speech at George Washington University has resulted in the graduate being banned from the campus after she used the platform to criticize the university’s ties to Israel and express support for Palestinians.

During Saturday’s commencement for the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences, part of GWU in Washington, DC, graduating senior Cecilia Culver delivered remarks to the graduating class of nearly 750.

Culver condemned the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza, criticized GWU’s connections to Israel, and urged the audience to withhold donations from the college and push for financial transparency, as well as for the college to divest from Israeli-linked companies.

“I am ashamed to know my tuition [fee] is being used to fund this genocide,” Culver said from the stage. “I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that the latest ground force operation happening in Gaza right now is intended to enable Israel to “take over” Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip – NBC News
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Israel’s military encircled two of the last functioning hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip, staff and aid groups say, as the World Health Organization is warning that the activity is “stretching the health system beyond the breaking point.”

The development comes as an Israeli military spokesperson said Wednesday that “We are entering a new phase, different in size and strength, to achieve the war’s objectives of returning the kidnapped soldiers and defeating the terrorist [group] Hamas.

“Forces from the 401st Brigade and the Givati Brigade, under the command of the 162nd Division, began operating in the northern Gaza Strip, where they identified and destroyed suspicious buildings in the area and eliminated dozens of Hamas terrorists,” IDF Col. Avichay Adraee wrote on X.

The Indonesian hospital and al-Awda hospital are among northern Gaza’s only surviving medical centers, according to the Associated Press.

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A U.S.-backed mechanism for distributing aid into Gaza should take effect soon, Washington’s ambassador to Israel said on Friday ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East, but he gave few details.

Gaza’s residents are facing a growing humanitarian crisis with Israel enforcing a months-long blockade on aid supplies to the small Palestinian enclave in the third year of its war against militant group Hamas.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee said several partners had already committed to taking part in the aid arrangement but declined to name them, saying details would be released in the coming days.

Brooklyn College was the scene of violence after anti-Israel protestors switched from protest to violent insurrection, attacking police, 14 people were reported arrested, with only one person reported tased. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to deport any foreign students who participated in the violent assaults.

Chaos erupts at Brooklyn College anti-Israel protest: 14 arrests, one person tased – thecollegefix.com

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Dozens of pro-Palestinian protests clashed with police at Brooklyn College on Thursday, prompting the arrest of at least 14 people. The chaos came just one day after 80 protesters who aggressively took over and occupied a library at Columbia University were arrested.

The clashes with police just outside Brooklyn College were frenzied and chaotic, coming after officers had told the students and activists who set up tents on campus to disperse. Several videos of the incident show police and protesters shoving each other in the melee as the situation spilled into the nearby streets.

“Videos show activists, many of whom were wearing keffiyehs, yelling and swearing as police officers attempted to get the unruly crowd under control. ‘Stop shoving people! Stop f–king shoving people,’ one female protester yelled,” according to the New York Post, which reported 14 people had been taken into custody.

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US President Donald Trump has foregone the condition originally set in negotiations with Saudi Arabia, and is prepared to discuss cooperation on a Saudi civilian nuclear project even without normalization of the country’s relations with Israel, according to a report by Reuters today.

The previous US president, Joe Biden, made expansion of the Abraham Accords to include Saudi recognition of Israel a condition for nuclear cooperation.

It appears the Houthis are done with Trump, or so they think. They’re hoping for a ceasefire that allows them to continue to fight Israel, even if it means no longer attacking ships going through the Red Sea.

US-Houthi ceasefire deal does not include Israel: Houthi spokespersonChannel Asia
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A ceasefire deal between Yemen’s Houthis and the United Staes does not include sparing Israel, the group said on Wednesday (May 7), suggesting its shipping attacks that have disrupted global trade and challenged world powers will not come to a complete halt.

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop attacking US ships.

After Trump made the announcement, Oman said it had mediated the ceasefire deal to halt attacks on US vessels.

There have been no reports of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea area since January.

“The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief Houthi negotiator, told Reuters.

“As long as they announced the cessation (of US strikes) and they are actually committed to that, our position was self-defence so we will stop.”

 

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A right-wing Israeli minister says victory for Israel won’t come until Gaza is “entirely destroyed” and Palestinians are forced out into other countries.

Israeli Finance Minister Bazalel Smotrich made the statement during a Tuesday appearance at a conference on Jewish settlements in the West Bank. While Smotrich is a senior Israeli official, his statement does not represent the official policy of the Israeli government.

“Within a year we will be able to declare victory in Gaza,” he told attendees. “Gaza will be entirely destroyed, civilians will be sent to… the south to a humanitarian zone without Hamas or terrorism, and from there they will start to leave in great numbers to third countries,” Smotrich said, according to the Agence France-Presse.

“Israel does not intend to withdraw from territories the IDF captures, not even as part of a deal to release hostages,” he added.

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Israel approved plans on Monday to capture the entire Gaza Strip and remain in the territory for an unspecified amount of time, two Israeli officials said, in a move that if implemented would vastly expand Israel’s operations in the Palestinian territory and likely bring fierce international opposition.

Israel’s cabinet ministers approved the plan in an early morning vote, hours after the Israeli military chief said the army was calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers. The new plan, which the officials said was meant to help Israel achieve its war aims of defeating Hamas and freeing hostages held in Gaza, also would push hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to southern Gaza, likely exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Since a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas collapsed in mid-March, Israel has unleashed fierce strikes on the territory that have killed hundreds. It has captured swathes of territory and now controls roughly 50 per cent of Gaza.

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The Israeli military has called up tens of thousands of reservists to “intensify and expand” its operations in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was “increasing the pressure” with the aim of returning hostages held in Gaza and defeating Hamas militants.

Under the plan, the military said it would operate in new areas and “destroy all infrastructure” above and below ground.

The Israeli security cabinet was expected to vote on the military expansion on Sunday, local media reported.

No Israeli hostages have been released since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March after the collapse of a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the end of the truce.