They were young and idealistic, and devoted their lives to peace.
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim worked in diplomacy and conflict resolution at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
They were gunned down in cold blood last month, just steps from the US Capitol.
In under two weeks, a man from Colorado launched a firebomb attack on a peaceful protest advocating for the release of Israeli hostages, resulting in injuries to at least 12 individuals, including a Holocaust survivor.
While the war in Gaza is thousands of miles away, its violence has sadly come home.
The incidents in DC and Colorado are not standalone cases; they represent a disturbing trend of rhetoric evolving from mere outrage to incitement, and from chanting slogans to making explicit calls for violence in cities across the West.
And those calls are terrifyingly being answered, and are now being seen in cities across the nation.
The NYPD is diligently working to thwart any potential future attacks in New York City before they can happen, as the assaults in DC and Colorado are likely to inspire similar attempts by others.
History has shown that each one makes the next more likely — that’s how contagion works.
It’s shocking, but not surprising. In the 20 months since Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, hate has ricocheted across the globe.
Just weeks after the attack, an Illinois man murdered his Palestinian-American tenants — a 6-year-old boy and his mother — in a brutal, hate-driven attack.
More than 25 attacks or disrupted plots have targeted Israeli and US diplomatic sites.
Just last month, a man was arrested at JFK for allegedly trying to firebomb the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Nearly 40 additional incidents have targeted synagogues, schools and other visible parts of Jewish life across Europe and the United States.
In September, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force disrupted a mass-casualty plot against a Brooklyn synagogue allegedly planned for the first anniversary of Oct. 7.
In December, a Virginia man was arrested for planning an attack against the Israeli consulate in Midtown.
That’s the terrorism.
There’s also the hate.
Antisemitic hate crimes in the city were down 20% before Oct. 7, compared to that point in 2022.
That changed almost overnight: By the end of 2023, they’d surged 80%.
And while Jewish New Yorkers make up just over 10% of the city’s population, they’ve accounted for more than half of all hate crime victims in that time.
Hate crimes against the Muslim community are also up, more than 160% since Oct. 7.
While the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is undeniable, it doesn’t excuse violence.
Tragically, it may inspire more.
Every high-profile attack raises the risk of another.
Unfortunately, individuals already on the edge don’t need instructions; they just need a spark.
That’s why the NYPD is acutely focused on prevention: to snuff out sparks before they catch, and to ensure that hate has no chance to spread like wildfire.
We calibrate our presence to meet the threat — no matter where it lurks or whom it targets.
Since Oct. 7, the NYPD has surged uniformed patrols around synagogues and other houses of worship, Jewish schools and cultural institutions, hardening soft targets whenever and wherever necessary.
That’s how we protect all New Yorkers.
The NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau closely tracks developments at home and abroad, and we don’t fight terrorism and hate alone.
Task forces.
Shared intelligence.
Constant coordination with all our partners — international, federal, state, local and private sector — to detect threats early.
That’s how this work gets done.
Anything less won’t cut it.
Importantly, some of the most serious threats we’ve stopped originated from a tip from an observant member of the public, making your eyes and ears just as critical as enforcement.
That’s why “if you see something, say something” is not just a slogan; it’s our force multiplier that allows us to disrupt attacks before they start.
While there are no known specific, credible threats to New York City at this time related to the horrific incidents in DC or Colorado, all of us — law enforcement, intelligence officials, the public and the communities we serve — must always be vigilant to stay ahead of this threat.
That means acting early.
Moving fast.
And stopping the next one before it happens.
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim believed in something better.
They built their lives around it — and they were killed for it.
May their memories be a blessing.
Eric Adams is mayor of New York. Jessica S. Tisch is NYPD commissioner.
