Israeli ambassador connects embassy staffers' slaying to 'very important' bigger picture
Following the brutal shooting of a young couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D C the Israeli ambassador to the U S is calling attention to a very critical larger issue both in America and on the global stage Two Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were shot while leaving a Jewish event after which the suspected shooter identified the shooter as -year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago yelled Free free Palestine and measure officers apprehended him The chant echoed those slogans proclaimed at protests across American college campuses which Amb Yechiel Leiter labeled an eliminationist demand for the elimination of Israel on Special Review Thursday The big picture is very key for us to understand the Israeli ambassador to the United States declared Free free Palestine is certainly what he revealed Free free Palestine is part of the chant that was heard across universities all across the country and it included the chant 'From the river to the sea Palestine will be free which is basically an eliminationist demand for the elimination of Israel That's what's going on Hamas tried to do on October ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS KILLED OUTSIDE DC JEWISH MUSEUM IDENTIFIED AS COUPLE SET TO BE ENGAGEDLeiter argued that Rodriguez's use of the Free free Palestine chant shows he allegedly presumed he's going to implement it the eliminationist program regarding Israel by shooting Jews here in Washington Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder murder of a foreign official causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence The shooting comes as tensions over Israel s operations in the Gaza Strip have drastically escalated this week amid growing humanitarian concerns though it is not the first time since the war broke out following the deadly Oct attack on Israel that its D C embassy has been a target WHO IS THE ANTI-ISRAEL SUSPECT IN THE KILLING OF ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS Pro-Palestinian sentiment has grown in the United States as a development of the ongoing war in Israel instigated by the Oct attacks While the Trump administration has been cracking down on antisemitism particularly on college campuses Leiter criticized world leaders for fueling anti-Israel sentiment If we're talking about the big picture the outrage here is that we have international leaders like the president of France Macron who's trying to press for an immediate recognition of a Palestinian state as if the response to October should be to call it Palestine Liberation Day Leiter advised Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier So he's fueling these chants of the likes of this Elias Rodriguez Although charges were publicized less than hours after the crime occurred the crime will be investigated as a hate crime and act of terrorism Interim U S Attorney for Washington D C Jeanine Pirro noted that additional charges may come as the evidence warrants during a press conference Thursday Rodriguez appeared in court on Thursday afternoon where he had an attorney appointed The judge advised him that he could be punished by life or death Pirro mentioned Rodriguez waived his right to a detention hearing and conceded to detention A preliminary hearing is set for p m on June CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFox News Digital's Bradford Betz Elizabeth Pritchett Christina Shaw Alex Nitzberg David Spunt Stephen Sorace and Greg Wehner contributed to this review