Ambassador Deek commends Azerbaijan’s protection of Israeli diplomats and Jewish community

Israeli Ambassador to Baku George Deek has expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its support and protection of Israeli diplomats and the Jewish community in the country.

“We are devastated by the horrific act of terror at a Jewish event in Washington, D.C., where two staff members of the Israeli Embassy were shot at close range,” Caliber.Az quotes the ambassador as saying on his X page.

"Yaron and Sarah, in the prime of their lives, were supposed to get engaged next week. Instead, we are preparing to bury them—with broken hearts.

This is a painful reminder: the relentless lies about Israel, the demonization of our people, and the hate directed at us all come at a deadly cost.

I want to thank the people of Azerbaijan for their solidarity, and the Azerbaijani government for its unwavering commitment to protecting Israeli diplomats and the Jewish community in this beautiful country,” he added.

Notably, two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.—Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim—were tragically shot and killed on the evening of May 21, 2025, outside the Capital Jewish Museum. The couple, who were planning to become engaged, had just attended a diplomatic reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee when the attack occurred.

The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old from Chicago, was arrested at the scene. Witnesses reported that Rodriguez had been pacing outside the museum prior to the shooting and, upon his arrest, chanted "Free, free Palestine." Authorities are treating the incident as a hate crime and a potential act of terrorism. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack as an antisemitic act and ordered heightened security at Israeli missions worldwide. U.S. President Donald Trump also expressed outrage and reaffirmed the commitment to combat antisemitism. 

This incident has intensified concerns over rising antisemitism globally, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The FBI and local police have launched a joint investigation into the shooting.

By Khagan Isayev