Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday morning addressed the murderous attack in Washington that murdered two Israeli embassy staff employees and blamed the atrocity on former Israeli officials, namely Democrats Party Chairman Yair Golan who said that Israel “murders babies as a hobby,” and former Prime Minister and prisoner number 9032478 Ehud Olmert who claimed that Israel was close to committing a war crime in the Gaza Strip.
See: Two Israeli Embassy Staff Murdered in Washington, DC Terror Attack
See: Labor-Meretz Leader Yair Golan Accuses Israel of Killing Babies as a Hobby
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and the reckless incitement against the State of Israel,” said Netanyahu, and added, “The blood libels against Israel are turning into bloodshed and must be fought to the bitter end.”
“My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman whose lives were cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer. I have instructed that security be reinforced at Israeli missions worldwide and for all state representatives,” he said.
The couple, employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, were murdered Wednesday night by a terrorist who opened fire on them as they returned from a reception at the Jewish Museum. Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter—himself a bereaved father—shared a heartbreaking update: “The couple who were murdered tonight in the name of ‘Free Palestine’ were about to get engaged. The young man had purchased a ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem. They were a lovely couple.”
Heritage Minister Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu on Thursday morning also blamed Yair Golan for the deadly attack in Washington, citing Golan’s controversial remark that “the State of Israel murders babies as a hobby.”
“Yair Golan’s bloodthirsty rhetoric resonates with Nazis and Israel-haters around the world,” Eliyahu said. “The price we are paying now in the murderous attack in Washington is only the beginning—history teaches us there will be more. Yair, the blood of the embassy workers is on your hands and those of your allies. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the murdered couple.”
MK Tali Gotliv called for an immediate criminal investigation against Yair Golan, accusing him of committing “a series of criminal offenses” that she claimed had undermined national resilience and aided Israel’s enemies during wartime.
Gotliv tweeted: “So far, the dangerous instigator Yair Golan has not been arrested. The dangerous Golan, who is embraced by our worst enemies, has not even been summoned for questioning. I’m not interested in slogans or condemnations. Golan has committed serious criminal offenses. He has no immunity. He must be arrested, interrogated, and urgently indicted.”
Minister of Diaspora Affairs and the Fight against Antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, expressed shock on Thursday following the murder of two embassy employees in what he described as a terrorist attack at the Jewish Museum. Chikli condemned the act as a direct result of antisemitism “fueled by extremist anti-Israel elements, both globally and, regrettably, within the State of Israel.”
“It is important to speak the truth clearly and unequivocally, this murderous attack did not occur in a vacuum,” said Minister Chikli. “It is the direct result of blatant antisemitism and rampant incitement against the State of Israel and the Jewish people, incitement that is fueled by extreme anti-Israel elements, both abroad and, regrettably, within the State of Israel itself.”
The minister went on to accuse Democrats Chairman Yair Golan, stating: “Anyone who spreads lies, compares Israel to the Nazis, accuses the IDF of war crimes, or slanders that the ‘hobby’ of IDF soldiers and the State of Israel is to kill babies—is a full partner in the outcome.”
Knesset Deputy Speaker Nissim Vaturi also condemned Yair Golan, tweeting: “I have no doubt that the antisemitic narratives about ‘killing babies as a hobby’ and claims that ‘what Israel is doing in Gaza is close to genocide’ serve to fuel the antisemitic murderer in Washington.”
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar echoed the criticism, stating: “When vile and irresponsible politicians slander Israel with false accusations of genocide and war crimes, it is no surprise that antisemitism surges and Palestinian terrorists gain momentum to carry out attacks.”
And what did the Bar Mitzvah boy have to say in response? Golan tweeted: “I share in the grief of the families of those murdered in the horrific attack in Washington and stand in full solidarity with all members of Israel’s Foreign Service.
“It is Netanyahu’s Kahanist government that fans the flames of antisemitism and hatred toward Israel, leading to unprecedented political isolation and placing Jews in danger across the globe.
“We will replace this government—and restore safety and security to every Jew, wherever they may be.”
Of course they will.
Finally, Chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, MK Simcha Rothman, shared that during his recent visit to the United States, he felt “like a resident of Eretz Israel visiting Germany in the 1920s and 1930s.”
“My kind hosts ask and express concern about the situation in Israel—the disturbances, the Arab revolt, the pogroms—all while sitting on a powder keg of Jew-hatred and anti-Israel sentiment,” Rothman continued.
He further asserted that the chants of “Free Palestine” are not genuine political protests or critiques of Israeli policy, but rather “the modern-day version of the ‘Hep Hep’ cries of the 19th-century pogromists in Germany.”
The Hep-Hep riots, which occurred from August to October 1819, were a series of antisemitic pogroms targeting Ashkenazi Jews in Germany, beginning in the Kingdom of Bavaria. The violence erupted on August 2 in Würzburg amid growing resentment over Jewish emancipation efforts. It quickly spread to other regions, resulting in widespread assaults on Jewish communities. While no fatalities were reported, many Jews were injured, and significant amounts of Jewish property were looted or destroyed. The riots were viewed as a major backlash against the integration of Jews into German civic life.
And a century later, give or take a couple of decades, they murdered all of them.
As Robin Williams related many years later: “I was at a German talk show once and they asked, ‘Why do you think there isn’t so much comedy in Germany?’ And I said: ‘Did you ever think you killed all the funny people?'”
