Adam R. Forgie: Murders outside Jewish museum a reminder that antisemitism is not just an Israeli problem

Last week, just steps from the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., two staff members of the Israeli Embassy — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim — were shot and killed. They were attending a gathering hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an event meant to promote understanding and stand against hate. Instead, it was marred by the very hatred it sought to combat.

This was not simply an attack on Israelis. It was an attack on Jews — on American soil, in the capital of a nation that claims religious liberty as a core value. The murder of these innocent people, whose only offense was showing up in peace, underscores the disturbing rise of antisemitic violence in our country.

Antisemitism is not a foreign problem. It is not confined to geopolitical disputes. It is a persistent, global toxin — and it is thriving here at home.

We’ve seen this before. In 2018, in our own city of Pittsburgh, 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue during prayer. The gunman had no ties to Israel. His motivation was simple and horrifying: hatred of Jews.

Now, five years later, in the heart of our nation’s capital, another act of antisemitic murder reminds us that this threat has not faded. It has grown.

According to the Anti- Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. surged by more than 300% in the past year. Synagogues are targeted. Jewish students face harassment on campuses. Social media teems with conspiracy theories and slurs. And still, some claim this hatred is exaggerated — or worse, dismiss it as a distraction from supposedly “more pressing” issues.

But what issue could be more pressing than the safety and dignity of our neighbors?

This wasn’t just a security lapse — it was a moral failure. We have normalized hate speech. We’ve mistaken extremism for political discourse. We’ve failed to teach the next generation that bigotry, when unchecked, becomes violence.

To those who disagree with a nation’s policies or an institution’s stance — protest. Speak out. The First Amendment protects that right. But do not resort to violence. Martin Luther King Jr. showed us how real change is achieved — through peaceful resistance and unwavering moral clarity. The path forward lies in the power of words, not weapons.

Some still believe antisemitism is tied only to Israel. It isn’t. Jews are being targeted not because of geopolitics but because of who they are.

Enough is enough.

Hate and extremism — from any side — have no place in a healthy democracy. Passion must never justify incivility or violence. American democracy is built on reasoned debate, not rage. We must replace shouting and slogans with dialogue rooted in truth and empathy.

Solidarity is not enough. We need meaningful action — from lawmakers, tech companies, educators and citizens. We need stronger hate crime legislation, more comprehensive education and a national reckoning with the reality that Jews have never been entirely safe, even here.

Yaron and Sarah’s deaths should break our hearts — and shake us into action. As with the Tree of Life massacre, this tragedy is not a warning from history. It is a crisis of the present. And, unless we act, it will shape our future.

Adam R. Forgie is mayor of Turtle Creek.