The fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers has left the American Jewish community reeling after more than a year of surging antisemitism.

Filmmaker and Jewish activist Yuval David, based in Washington, D.C., expressed to Fox News Digital that the killings of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim hit “too close by for every Jew in America.”

“I was very nearby in Washington, D.C., and even though I was just a few blocks away, this is too close for every Jew in America,” David commented. “This is the capital of our nation. Jews now find themselves with heightened security at our businesses, Jewish schools, and synagogues, yet it’s apparent that no amount of security is enough, as evidenced by the tragic murders that occurred last night.”

Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were about to be engaged. (Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

David also mentioned that he has confronted antisemitism in the nation’s capital long before the tragic shootings of Lischinsky and Milgrim. The ADL’s annual antisemitism audit for 2024 reflects a broader issue, noting that David’s experience is not an isolated one. In Washington, D.C., 151 antisemitic incidents were documented throughout the year 2024.

“I personally have been yelled at, have been spit at here in Washington, D.C. on the streets of our nation’s capital. And I speak out about it very openly as I address this ever-increasing antisemitism, anti-Jewish racism, anti-Jewish hatred, anti-Jewish bigotry, which seems in the haters’ minds to be justified when they call it anti-Israel or anti-Zionism.”

Police officers work at the site where, according to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

David is urging Americans to realize that the hatred and attacks go beyond the Jewish community — they are also attacks on the U.S.

“Some people are saying America next, but it’s clear that America’s not next — it’s happening here right now,” David said.