66 Israeli lawmakers sign Diaspora solidarity letter following DC shooting
"It was a vile act of antisemitism—pure and simple," the lawmakers and ministers said of the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
View of the Knesset, Israeli Parliament
In a powerful display of unity, 66 Israeli lawmakers from across the political spectrum signed a letter of solidarity with Jewish communities around the world on Thursday, a week after the May 21 murder of two Israeli embassy staffers at Washington, D.C.’s Capital Jewish Museum.
The missive, an initiative by Knesset member Dan Illouz (Likud Party), brought together lawmakers from the coalition and Zionist opposition parties, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Defense Minister Israel Katz, Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Illouz’s letter, titled “To Our Brothers and Sisters in the Diaspora—With Love, Pain and Unwavering Mutual Responsibility,” noted that victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were gunned down “simply because the killer wanted to murder Jews.
“This was not an attack on soldiers. It wasn’t a protest against policy. It was a vile act of antisemitism—pure and simple. And tragically, this wasn’t an isolated incident,” the MKs wrote, noting a “deeply troubling” global trend of rising Jew-hatred amid the Gaza war.
Since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, “antisemitism has been spreading at an alarming pace—on campuses, in the streets, across social media, and throughout the public sphere,” they continued.
“Yet in the darkness, your light has shone brightly,” the letter reads. “You stood with us during our hardest moments. You marched, you gave, you fought for the truth. You reminded us that Am Yisrael is one people – united,” it added, using the Hebrew term for the Jewish people.
The MKs thanked Jews worldwide for their courage, determination and love for the Jewish state throughout the 600 days of war against Hamas.
“We, ministers and Knesset members from across the political divide, speak to you with one clear voice: We are with you,” they wrote, adding, “And we will not be silent. The bond between the Jewish Diaspora and the State of Israel does not depend on circumstance. It is eternal.
“From Jerusalem to Washington, from Tel Aviv to Toronto, and all around the world—we stand as one. And we say, with pride and with love: Am Yisrael Chai [‘The nation of Israel lives’],” the letter concludes.
Illouz, speaking about the initiative, stated: “When we are hated, no one asks whether we are left or right, where we came from or where we live.”
He added, “The hatred is directed at the entire Jewish people—and so our response must be with one heart and one voice.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attributed the May 21 attack to “blood libels against Israel,” suggesting that incitement and false accusations against the Jewish state had fueled the violence.
U.S. President Donald Trump denounced the murders as antisemitic.
Student speaker accuses Israel of ‘genocide’ at MIT graduation
“You showed the world that MIT wants a free Palestine,” she said.
“It is no secret that at this time, academic institutions across the country are shrouded in a dark cloud of uncertainty,” she said. “The question of what will happen next echoes in our minds, and there is a lot of fear in many of our hearts.”
“Just throw academia in the garbage,” wrote Vickie Paladino, a Republican member of the New York City Council who represents part of Queens.
“It’s time to start from scratch,” she stated. “There’s literally nothing left to lose at this point. None of these people deserve the status, prestige or authority that comes with an elite credential.”
© JNS
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