It’s no coincidence that two Israeli embassy staffers attending an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event were murdered outside Washington DC’s Jewish museum… by a man shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was taken into police custody. The motive was clear, but the media dropped the ball. Several headlines suggested that Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were killed in a random shooting when this was anything but.
Reuters, for one, portrayed the horrific incident as a mere city crime that took an unfortunate turn. They couldn’t bring themselves to state outright that it was a specifically motivated and targeted attack on Jews at a Jewish event.
Hey, @Reuters, it’s an antisemitic attack on a specifically Jewish target, not a mugging gone wrong.
The gunman shot dead Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim outside the Jewish Museum. pic.twitter.com/ixWoAPOaoa
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025
BBC was no different — whitewashing, downplaying, and denying the antisemitic and anti-Israel motive for the attack — shameful, given the perpetrator clearly shouted a “free Palestine” slogan on video.
It wasn’t a “Washington DC shooting,” @BBCNews. It was an attack targeting Jewish attendees at a Jewish organization’s event held at a Jewish museum.
Stop whitewashing what was behind the horrific murders of Yaron Lischinsky & Sarah Lynn Milgrim — antisemitic anti-Israel hate. pic.twitter.com/pTBi6HSe6P
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025
In a later “analysis,” the BBC’s Yolande Knell even went so far as to effectively blame the murders on Israel’s conduct during its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
What’s this? Just @BBCNews “analysis” effectively blaming Israel’s conduct for the murder of its two embassy staff.
Criticism, however harsh, doesn’t lead to murder. Incitement and hate do.
Disgusting that @YolandeKnell, in justifying evil, can’t tell the difference. pic.twitter.com/3X2QPVH34d
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025
The Daily Beast took its own liberties, making a predictable connection and justification for the brutal killing of the two Israeli embassy staffers to the unfortunate incident in Jenin on Wednesday, where the IDF fired warning shots in the air in the vicinity of a delegation of foreign diplomats who were visiting the area. There is absolutely nothing that can justify antisemitic violence; the connection to the Jenin incident is a reach.
Is @thedailybeast actually suggesting the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC are a result of an earlier incident in Jenin?
Let’s be clear: There is no justification for their brutal killings. pic.twitter.com/IjCTVZLqRM
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025
An Anti-Defamation League (ADL) 2024 report cited that antisemitic violence spiked 360% in the U.S. in the year following the brutal Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. As this disturbing trend continues, it’s wrong for the media to play dumb.
In fact, the last thing that one of the victims, Israeli embassy worker Yaron Lischinsky, reposted on his X account was a tweet that reflects the dangerous consequences of irresponsible reporting, blood libels, and disinformation. Ironically, and tragically, he became a victim himself.
We mourn the horrific loss of Yaron Lischinsky and his partner Sarah Milgrim, victims of a brutal antisemitic murder in Washington DC.
The last thing Yaron reposted on X addressed the consequences of disinformation and antisemitic blood libels. pic.twitter.com/EH9Xhk5oWM
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) May 22, 2025
May Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky’s memories be a blessing, and serve as a reminder that hatred and violence painted as virtue do not lead to peace.
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