The US Department of Justice is pursuing federal hate crime charges and the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, the man who murdered two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC in late May, according to a report by CNN.

The charges—pending grand jury approval—would mark one of the most aggressive federal responses to anti-Jewish hate violence in recent memory. If advanced, the case could become a hallmark of the Trump administration’s high-profile campaign against both violent crime and antisemitic hate crimes.

The victims and the attack

Rodriguez fatally shot Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, both employees of the Israeli embassy, as they exited the Capitol Jewish Museum on May 21. Witnesses say the attacker shouted “Free, free Palestine!” after opening fire on the pair, who were walking to their vehicle.

The attack shocked both Israeli and American Jewish communities and was quickly condemned as a potential act of ideological violence targeting Jews and Israelis.

Targeted hate crime

The suspect is reportedly facing federal hate crime charges in addition to capital murder, reflecting the Justice Department’s assertion that the attack was motivated by antisemitic and anti-Israel hatred.

Although DOJ officials have not yet publicly confirmed the charges, CNN reports that they have sought indictments from a federal grand jury and are preparing to pursue the death penalty.

The Department of Justice and an attorney for Rodriguez declined to comment on the ongoing proceedings.

No section for bigotry

David May, senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said the murder of Lischinsky and Milgrim stood out even amid the global surge in antisemitic incidents since October 7.

“Even with the massive surge in antisemitism globally, the murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim stand apart for their heinousness,” May said.

He emphasized that the United States must respond with moral and legal clarity.

“The United States must demonstrate that it, in the words of George Washington, ‘gives to bigotry no sanction’ and prosecute the murderer to the fullest extent of the law,” May continued. “But it is also important to push back against the incitement and lies directed at Israel and the Jews that allow killers to justify gunning down innocents in the streets of our capital.”

Incitement leads to violence

The shooting comes amid heightened tensions following Israel’s war against Hamas and growing antisemitic rhetoric across US cities and campuses. According to watchdog groups, slogans like “Free Palestine” have increasingly morphed into calls for violence, particularly when paired with language demonizing Israelis or calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

If confirmed as a hate crime, the prosecution of Elias Rodriguez may set a legal precedent in how the federal government handles violent antisemitism when it intersects with anti-Israel radicalization.

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