A video clip circulating on social media after the attack showed Elias Rodriguez, 30, shouting "free, free Palestine" as he was led away by US police. X
An American man shot and killed two Israeli embassy employees near a museum in Washington on Wednesday evening while shouting "Free Palestine."
US Police identified the shooter as a 30-year-old American citizen named Elias Rodriguez, originally from Chicago.
A video circulated on the social media platform X purportedly shows Rodriguez shouting "Free Palestine" at the moment of his arrest.
According to a witness interviewed by CNN, the man initially pretended to be a bystander, waiting more than ten minutes for police to arrive before admitting, "I did it for Gaza."
Social media users shared information indicating that Elias Rodriguez works as an oral history researcher with the Chicago-based organisation HistoryMakers, which documents biographies and research on prominent African American figures. Rodriguez was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Illinois.
The incident came at a time when Israel faces increasing European pressure to end its siege and bloody war on Gaza.
This week, the European Union announced a review of its trade and cooperation pact with Israel. The United Kingdom suspended its trade negotiations with Tel Aviv, and France reaffirmed its determination to recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians since October 2023, most of them children and women. It has pushed Gaza's population to the brink of famine through an ongoing blockade and relentless bombing. In the West Bank, at least 929 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or terrorist settlers since the start of the war, while more than 17,000 have been arrested.
The Israeli government responded to the mounting criticism with the stock phrase "antisemitism."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to relentlessly combat what he called "antisemitism and violent incitement against Israel." In a statement released by his office, he said he had ordered increased security measures at Israeli diplomatic missions around the world.
Israeli officials swiftly moved to frame the shooting as an extension of what they call "incitement" against Israel in an attempt to deflect the growing Western criticism and regain European sympathy, thus shifting attention away from the ongoing mass killing of Palestinians.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused European countries of inciting against Israel, claiming at a press conference: "There is a direct line connecting anti-semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder."
He added: "This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially from Europe."
European leaders, too, largely echoed Israel's framing of the incident, issuing statements that reinforced the "antisemitic" narrative.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed her "shock" on X, stating: "There should be no place for hatred, extremism, and antisemitism in our societies."
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani denounced the "scenes of terror and violence," expressing his "solidarity" with Israel. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz strongly condemned the incident, calling it a "heinous act." UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was "horrified," denouncing the shooting as a "horrible antisemitic crime." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described it as "an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity".
The timing of the attack in Washington conveniently served Israeli interests, as it came just days following another shooting in which Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a group of foreign diplomats visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The diplomats were reportedly targeted after their visit "deviated" from a pre-approved route—an Israeli claim met with widespread international condemnation.
Since January, Israeli occupation forces have been carrying out a brutal military campaign across towns and refugee camps in the West Bank, particularly in Jenin. The offensive has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians, the deaths of dozens, and the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.
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