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Murdered Israeli Embassy Staffer Lost Many Close Friends Who Accused Her of ‘Being Complicit in Genocide’
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, pose for a picture at an unknown location, in this handout image released by Embassy of Israel to the US on May 22, 2025. Photo: Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS
The public diplomacy team at the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, where Sarah Lynn Milgrim worked until she was murdered in an antisemitic terrorist attack last week, said the American-Jewish native of Overland Park, Kansas, had a fallout with many close friends because of her job at the embassy.
Sawsan Hasson is head of the public diplomacy department at the Israeli embassy and was Milgrim’s supervisor. On Saturday, Hasson shared a lengthy post in memory of Milgrim, 26, on her LinkedIn page that was signed by the entire public diplomacy team. In the post, Milgrim is first described as a lover of animals and nature who “possessed a wisdom far beyond her years, coupled with an effortless charm that made people feel instantly seen and valued.” The post then revealed details about how Milgrim’s job at the embassy resulted in her losing a number of friendships with those who accused Israel of “genocide.”
Milgrim joined the public diplomacy department at the Israeli embassy in Washington soon after the Hamas-led deadly terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“When she made the decision to join the embassy team, she went through an incredibly difficult period,” read the LinkedIn post. “Many of her closest friends turned their backs on her. They accused her of being complicit in genocide, implied she was a terrible person for accepting the role, and ultimately cut off all contact.”
“But Sarah stood firm. She knew exactly who she was and what she believed in. She was a peacemaker,” the post added. “Her commitment to peace and diplomacy also led her to work closely with the US administration. Sarah was a respected voice in policy discussions, where she built bridges between communities and advocated for mutual understanding. She brought knowledge, empathy, and conviction to every room she entered — always with the goal of building a better future.”
Milgrim “rebuilt her life” and “soon formed an entirely new circle of friends” after joining the staff at the Israeli embassy, according to the LinkedIn post. She was “unapologetically herself,” lived by the Jewish concept of being a “light unto the nations,” and made it her mission “to bring light to those who were ostracized for their pro-Israel views.”
Milgrim and 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky — her soon-to-be fiancé and colleague at the Israeli embassy — were both gunned down as they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on May 21. Lischinsky, who was Christian, planned to propose to Milgrim this week during their trip to Israel for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, according to Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter. Lischinsky worked in the embassy’s political department.
The lone gunman, who law enforcement identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and using a firearm during a violent crime. Officials said additional charges may be added. Rodriguez shouted “Free Palestine” before he was arrested at the scene soon after the shooting and the Justice Department is investigating the attack as both an act of terrorism and a hate crime, according to Jeanine Pirro, the interim top federal prosecutor in Washington.
“This brutal, antisemitic violence has no place in our country or anywhere in civilization,” added Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together.”
“Make no mistake: This attack was targeted, antisemitic violence,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven Jensen. “The FBI will continue to pursue all leads and use all available resources to investigate this heinous murder.”
Milgrim was an environmental activist who advocated for climate and sustainability issues as well as LGBTQ+ rights. She also worked with women’s rights groups and minorities “and was deeply committed to advancing rights for people with disabilities,” according to the public diplomacy department at the Israeli embassy. A week before her murder, she co-organized an Earth Day event that featured Israeli environmental nonprofit leaders, according to a blog post written by Milgrim’s friend.
The post Murdered Israeli Embassy Staffer Lost Many Close Friends Who Accused Her of ‘Being Complicit in Genocide’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.