RELEASE: Gottheimer Statement on Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staff Outside Capital Jewish Museum

Above: Gottheimer stops by the Capital Jewish Museum to pay his respects to the victims and their families 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, May 22, 2025, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement in response to the shooting of Israeli Embassy Staff outside the Capital Jewish Museum:

“I am heartbroken and outraged by the horrific attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last night. Two young Israeli Embassy staffers — set to get engaged in Jerusalem next week — were senselessly murdered outside a gathering of Jewish professionals in our nation’s capital.

This morning, I stopped outside the museum to pay my respects to the victims and their families. My heart is with them and the entire Embassy community grieving this unimaginable loss.

While the investigation continues, what we know is chilling: this was not a random act of violence. It was deliberate and targeted, with the shooter wearing a keffiyeh, shouting “Free Palestine.” This attack is the direct and deadly result of a relentless global campaign to demonize Jews and Israel.

Since October 7, antisemitism has surged across the country. On college campuses, in the streets, and across social media, antisemitism isn’t just spreading — it’s being tolerated, normalized, and even celebrated. It’s disgusting and completely unacceptable.

We must call this what it is: an act of hate. We must forcefully combat antisemitic violence and hold those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. I will never stop fighting to ensure the Jewish community can live, worship, and gather without fear of violence.”

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