Blog

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

On May 21—a pleasant evening in Washington, D.C.—guests exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Young staffers of Jewish organizations were chatting about the gathering and discussing plans for the next day, when shots suddenly rang out. Instantly Sarah Milgrim, an American Jew, and Yaron Lischinsky, a German-born Israeli citizen, collapsed to the pavement. Both were on the staff of the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Yaron had purchased Sarah’s engagement ring with plans to ask her to marry him on their trip to Jerusalem later that week. Their unhinged killer shot them both in the back, shouting “Free Palestine!” The young couple, beloved by all who knew them, would never celebrate their wedding day with family and friends.

Of special note, a pastor at Washington’s Church of the Ascension and Saint Agnes where Sharon and Yaron were regular attendees wrote about the couple. “Drawn to Christ, their spiritual journeys of faith led them to our parish, where they had been faithfully participating for several months, beautiful lights in our midst. In their hunger to know and to belong, they even attended our Newcomers Series.”

Sarah was active at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah—her hometown synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas. A letter released by the synagogue read in part, “We mourn the loss of Sarah Milgrim, a proud member of our congregation, a devoted Zionist, and a radiant presence in every space she entered. She stood for something larger than herself, and she paid the ultimate price for it.” Her father, Robert Milgrim, described Sarah as a “wonderful girl who was as close to perfect as any human could be.” She graduated from the University of Kansas and earned her master’s degree in international affairs from American University.

In Israel, Yaron’s family attended Jerusalem’s King of Kings congregation where the family was described as “precious friends and believers, strong in the Lord, and lovers of Israel.” Yaron identified as a Jewish believer and attended Hebrew University. He and his four siblings all served in the Israel Defense Forces. The rector of Christ Church in Jerusalem’s Old City noted that Yaron “frequently visited his church and enjoyed the Anglican liturgy.” 

Amid the shock of losing this beautiful couple, let us pray from Psalm 34:18 for their families and friends, for Israel, and for their embassies worldwide. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

A closer look at the radicalized murderer reveals a well-educated killer who graduated from University of Illinois Chicago and held professional jobs. However, his angry posts on X (formerly known as Twitter) showed the depth of his Jew hatred. With no criminal record, he is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder. This 31-year-old Chicagoan, Elias Rodriguez, flew into Washington from O’Hare International Airport, where he declared his gun in his checked baggage. He was armed to kill, not caring whom he murdered as long as they were Jews.

Rodriguez was clearly determined to see these shocking premeditated murders through. When Sarah began crawling away, he reloaded his gun. She managed to sit up, whereupon the domestic terrorist fired multiple volleys into the 26-year-old’s body. Yaron lay close by, dead at age 31. Yaron was a researcher in the embassy’s political department and Sarah organized U.S. missions to Israel.

The Islamic Regime’s Supreme Leader Khamenei quickly praised the killer’s attack on Sarah and Yaron, who had both been highly regarded for their dedication to Israel and peace as Israeli Embassy staff. Khamenei gave the domestic terrorist a new name: founder of the “Washington Basij.” (Basij is the title of Iran’s brutal militia.) Now a vile replica of terrorist cruelty, the American Hamas is an official member of the Islamist Regime.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rightly explained, “There is an undeniable link between inflammatory words and murderous actions.” That the attacker eliminated two formal representatives of Israel adds up to “a significant assault on Israel’s diplomatic standing.” The multiple federal charges include the murder of foreign officials.

Witness Katie Kalisher noted that just before his arrest, Rodriguez pulled out a keffiyeh headdress confessing, “I did it. I did this for Gaza. Free Palestine!”

In the intro to Ariel Kahan’s powerful article in Israel Hayom on how anti-Israel propaganda can kill, we read: “Elias Rodriguez’s transformation from content writer to terrorist represents the tragic endpoint of a global disinformation campaign that has radicalized minds and normalized violence against Jewish targets, occurring in America’s capital while President Donald Trump wages an unprecedented fight against rising antisemitism.”

Mainstream media organizations worldwide are adopting Nazi media strategies that used their power to radicalize Germans with hatred. Indeed, toxic rhetoric produces violence in radicalized minds. Knowing Islam’s term about deception is key. Terrorist regimes use the word taqiyya, which means using lies to “gain the upper hand over an enemy.” When media interact with terrorist governments, be aware. Lies are a huge asset for their propaganda as well as any “agreements.” Mainstream media would do well to apply the term taqiyya to its Gazan news sources. The heartbreaking murders of innocents like Sarah, Yaron, and so many other Jews is enabled by sources that stir up violence using gullible media.

Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda mastermind said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic, and/or military consequences of the lie.” He goes on to say: “Truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” His conclusion? That it “becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent.” Does this sound familiar today?

The New Nazis—Gazan and others—represent the Goebbels of today, lapping up mainstream media propaganda that are potent sources for radicalizing smart, educated people with hatred against Jews worldwide. 

Here is the evil of Hitler himself: “Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life as paradise.” His chilling description of propaganda explains what is happening in the United States and in worldwide demonstrations glorifying Hamas.

In response to the murders of Sarah and Yaron, The Jewish Federations of North America and 42 other Jewish organizations sent an appeal to the U.S. government for heightened security measures. Their statement reads in part, “The tragic murders of these two innocent young Israeli embassy employees …  are the direct consequence of rising antisemitic incitement in places such as college campuses, city council meetings, and social media that has normalized hate and emboldened those who wish to do harm.” 

Uniting organizations is important, but grassroots efforts are equally important from Christians, Jews, and everyone of goodwill. We must take a stand even if our sphere of influence is small. One call to a senator. One comment to a radio talk show. One email fact to a group of friends. A request to your church to pray for Israel. It adds up. We must buckle up with God’s belt of truth against demonic forces invading minds worldwide.

We cannot bring Sarah and Yaron back. However, let us advocate for Israel and the Jewish people in honor of their lives.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes your prayers with us and for so many in the Jewish community who are traumatized again.

Prayer Points: 

• Pray that Christians will wake up to wisely oppose lies against Israel.
• Pray for the Milgrim and Lischinsky families in the U.S. and Israel
• Pray for the demonic voices of Jew haters to cease and desist.
• Pray for mainstem media to abandon their dangerous “news” sources.  

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.