Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Jerusalem on Sunday, following the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington last week. The meeting, confirmed by Netanyahu’s office, was attended by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
According to a brief statement, Noem "expressed her unreserved support for the prime minister and the State of Israel." Media reports from both countries said former US President Donald Trump sent Noem to Jerusalem in response to the deadly attack near a Jewish museum.
The timing of the visit reflects the heightened security and political urgency. It also comes as Israel intensifies its military operations in the Gaza Strip, which it says are part of a renewed effort to dismantle Hamas. Earlier in the evening, Noem and Huckabee visited the Western Wall during early Jerusalem Day celebrations, which commemorate Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
The high-level visit took place just days after a deadly shooting shook Washington, DC. Two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and American Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were shot and killed outside a Jewish museum. The attack has been linked to rising anti-Semitic sentiment amid global tensions over Israel's offensive in Gaza, which followed the October 2023 Hamas assault.
Police have identified the suspect as a 31-year-old man from Chicago. Authorities say he shouted "Free Palestine" while being taken into custody. The shooting occurred just a mile from the White House and is being investigated "as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime."
"Around DC, you will see an increased presence of law enforcement officers around the community, you will find us around our faith-based organizations," said Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith. "You will see an increased presence around our schools and places like the DC Jewish Community Center. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community."
President Donald Trump, who also spoke with Netanyahu after the shooting, posted online that the attack was "clearly anti-Semitic."
In response to the killings, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser brought together her interfaith council, Jewish leaders, and city officials. "We have a long history, and a lot of practice in our city, of working with Jewish organizations around safety and around protection," she said.
Aaron Hiller, head of the board of the Hill Havurah synagogue, helped organize a Friday vigil and reflected on the tragedy. "Unfortunately ... not unexpected," he said of the attack. "Both acts of anti-Semitism and acts of violence are all too common," though he assured the community is "very safe."