Following the shooting attack in Washington and the growing wave of antisemitism, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar delivered a press statement this morning (Thursday), urging world leaders: “Stop the incitement against Israel.”
“The result of poisonous, virulent antisemitic incitement”
Sa’ar eulogized the victims of the attack, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim: “I spoke this morning with Daniel, Yaron’s father. I told him that his son was a fighter on the diplomatic front and fell as a soldier falls on the battlefield,” he said.
Sa’ar emphasized that Israeli representatives and missions around the world have become targets of antisemitic terror that crosses all red lines: “This is the direct result of poisonous, virulent antisemitic incitement that has been spreading since October 7 against Israel and Jews around the world. The modern-day blood libels accusing us of genocide, crimes against humanity, and the murder of babies pave the way for such acts of violence,” he said.
“The global atmosphere has made Jewish and Israeli blood expendable”
The foreign minister also addressed the incitement coming from official spokespeople of many governments and international organizations: “The global atmosphere has made Jewish and Israeli blood expendable. This is what happens when world leaders succumb to and amplify Palestinian lies and terror propaganda.”
“Declarations and attacks that accuse Israel—instead of Hamas, which launched the war on October 7, and is solely responsible for its continuation and for the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians—must stop,” Sa’ar continued. He called on global leaders to put an end to the incitement and to the false allegations against Israel: “Stand with Israel in the historic struggle that has been forced upon it against the axis of evil in the Middle East.”
“People of Israel – hold your heads high!”
Sa’ar added that he had spoken with Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Yechiel Leiter, and with U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee: “Ambassador Huckabee updated me on the intense investigation being led by several U.S. government agencies into this act of terror. Senior officials in American law enforcement are closely involved in the probe. We are grateful for that.”
He concluded with a message of resilience: “Terror pursues us everywhere, but we will not surrender to it. We, who vowed ‘Never Again,’ will not allow it to happen. To the people of Israel, I say this morning: hold your heads high. No nation on earth could have endured, with such courage, self-sacrifice, and strength, what we have endured—and what we continue to face. Let us strengthen our unity so we can continue to stand strong in the historic battle forced upon us.”
Flags at Half Mast
In honor of the victims, Israeli flags at all diplomatic missions around the world were lowered to half mast.
Following the horrific terror attack in Washington, D.C., in which our colleagues Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were murdered, Israeli flags at the Foreign Ministry and at missions around the world have been lowered to half-mast in mourning.
We are heartbroken. … pic.twitter.com/f0ziWwaoCt
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 22, 2025
