AG Pam Bondi says she is seeking death penalty for killer of Israeli embassy workers Lischinsky, Milgrim

In an address to the Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit on Friday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said her office will seek the death penalty for the murderer of Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 

Bondi began her address by referring to the killing of Milgrim and Lischinsky outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last May. 

“Sarah and Yaron were shot, murdered because they were Jewish,” Bondi said. “It was horrible. Horrible. We will not tolerate that in our country any longer.” 

Bondi, a former prosecutor and attorney general of Florida, told the summit that her office is seeking the death penalty against, Elias Rodriguez, the suspect in the murders. 

Rodriguez was arrested shortly after the shooting, reportedly telling police, he “did it for Palestine.” 

“We are prosecuting the monster, and we will seek the death penalty,” she stated. 

Yaron Lischinsky was the younger brother of ALL ISRAEL NEWS Correspondent and News Desk Manager Hanan Lischinsky.  

Bondi said that antisemitism has gone “unchecked” for too long in the United States. 

“The sad truth is for way too long, antisemitism has been allowed to grow unchecked in this country,” the attorney general told the audience. 

Bondi said that American institutions failed to respond to the surge in antisemitism following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. 

“Too many institutions have abdicated their moral responsibility to speak up. Too many so-called leaders have stayed quiet,” Bondi accused. “Action has consequences, and inaction has consequences too.” 

She cited examples of antisemitic crimes, such as the recent arson attack at the historic Beth Israel synagogue in Mississippi.  

“Too many Jewish Americans have been forced to live in fear. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is dedicated to reversing this unacceptable trend,” she said. 

Bondi pointed to the Justice Department’s million-dollar settlements against public universities like Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Cornell, over anti-Israel protests on campuses. 

“We will not allow acts of antisemitism to go unpunished in this country under the leadership of Donald Trump,” Bondi promised. 

Concluding her speech, Bondi also promised that the Trump administration would “continue to fight for Israel. 

“God bless you. We will continue to fight for Israel,” she stated. “Shabbat Shalom.”