Letters to the editor
Readers respond
The Washington murders show what happens when hate goes unchecked
Last week, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., two staff members of the Israeli Embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were shot and killed (“Two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead outside Jewish museum in DC,” online, May 22). They were there for a gathering hosted by the American Jewish Committee — an event meant to promote understanding, bridge divides and stand up against hate. Instead, it was marred by violence.
Let’s be absolutely clear: This was an antisemitic attack. And it happened in the capital of the United States. We are a country that prides itself on religious liberty and pluralism. The murder of these two innocent souls was rooted in bitter malice and has become a divisive issue across college campuses and major American cities. The violence must stop immediately.
Antisemitism is not just an Israeli problem. It is not limited to any single nation, and it cannot be contained within the borders of one political conflict. It is, tragically, a global toxin — and it has found fertile ground here at home.
We’ve seen this before, too close to home. In 2018, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting claimed the lives of 11 innocent people who were simply gathered in prayer. The shooter didn’t act out of political allegiance. He was fueled by hatred of Jews.
Now, in the heart of our nation’s capital, another antisemitic murder reminds us: This is still happening. And it’s getting worse.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the United States surged by more than 300% in the last year. Synagogues are targeted. Jewish students on college campuses are harassed. Social media platforms are flooded with conspiracies and slurs. The results of elections are questioned with baseless claims. Meanwhile, there are those who ignorantly claim that antisemitism is “overblown” — or worse, that they are distractions from more “pressing” issues.
But what issue is more pressing than the safety and dignity of our neighbors?
What happened in Washington is not just a security failure. It is a moral failure. A failure of our society to treat antisemitism with the seriousness it demands. It is the result of shrugging off hate speech, of allowing extremist rhetoric to pass as political critique and of failing to teach the next generation the consequences of prejudice left unchecked.
Enough is enough.
We need more than statements of solidarity. We need real action — from lawmakers, from tech companies, from educators and from every American who believes in the foundational promise of this country. We need robust hate crime legislation, better education on antisemitism and a cultural reckoning with the fact that Jews have never been fully safe, even in the places they call home.
This tragedy reminds us that antisemitism is not in the past — it is in our present. And if we do not act, it will be our future.
Mayor Adam Forgie
Turtle Creek
comments