Attacked Rabbi criticizes District of Columbia's management of antisemitic incidents at Israeli Embassy
Washington, D.C. Rabbi Criticizes City Leadership Over Handling of Antisemitism
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, who was harassed outside the Israeli Embassy in 2024, has laid blame on D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for alleged indifference towards antisemitism.
On March 21, 2024, Rabbi Herzfeld visited the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., to pray for the safe return of hostages. During this trip, he was subjected to heckling by protesters who blasted sirens from megaphones. The rabbi was later falsely accused of stalking, only to be later exonerated, with his accusers ordered to cover his $182,000 legal expenses.
Despite this, Rabbi Herzfeld considers the D.C. leadership's response to antisemitism inadequate, especially in light of the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.
"There's a pattern here of the D.C. government not doing enough to protect the Jewish community. And I said that to Mayor Bowser, and I think that enough is enough," stated Herzfeld to ourDigital website.
A protester waved a Palestinian flag at Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld as he attempted to pray in front of the Israeli Embassy on March 22, 2024. (Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld)
In a separate attack, Elias Rodriguez, who was charged with the murders of Lischinsky and Milgrim, was heard shouting "free, free Palestine" as he was apprehended. According to court documents, he told D.C. police, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed."
Police officers worked at the site where, according to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, two Israeli embassy staff members were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Israeli Ambassador Gabriela Shalev connected the embassy staffers' killings to a "most important" broader context.
After the reported statements by Rodriguez, and what he was heard shouting in a viral video, Herzfeld told ourDigital that it gives D.C. Jews "even more reason to be concerned."
"So, nobody's talking about taking away the rights to free speech. Everyone has the right to express themselves in a way that is part of society, in a manner that doesn't endanger and threaten people. And now we know that those people who were at these rallies, which were being done in a frenzy, a threatening, intimidating manner, there’s a reason why people are scared, because some people who associate with them are violent, and this person who went and killed, murdered."
"On the streets of D.C., to people who supported Israel, this person was associated with that group. He shouted free Palestine. And so now we have even more reason to be concerned as these free Palestine protesters are giving a free hand on the street of D.C."
National Park Service workers attempt to remove graffiti at Union Station on July 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
In response to a request for comment, Bowser's office referred to her remarks at a news conference on May 22 following the shooting.
"We are here to echo what the U.S. attorney has said, that this crime will not be tolerated in our city," Bowser said. She also lamented that D.C. has faced "practice standing together as a community to fight antisemitism – not just in hate speech but also in hateful acts."
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who also spoke at the press conference, pledged to not tolerate violent crimes such as the deadly shooting in front of the Jewish museum.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for ourDigital and FOX Business.
- Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, in light of the murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, expressed concern about the lack of protection for the Jewish community in Washington, D.C., noting a pattern of indifference towards antisemitism by the city's leadership.
- In the wake of the murder of Israeli embassy staff members, the ongoing protests advocating for Palestine on the streets of D.C. have given Jewish community members even more reason to be concerned, as these protesters are seen as potentially dangerous and violent.
