15-minute Extremism Update

On 12 June, the Program on Extremism held an important security briefing with the Executive Director of Community Security at the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, Russell H. “Rusty” Rosenthal. In the wake of the attacks in Washington, D.C., on May 25 that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, this session offered a comprehensive overview of the events of that tragic day. Executive Director Rosenthal, alongside the Program on Extremism’s Head of Terrorism Research Lara Burns, shared critical insights into what transpired, as well as analyzed the current security risk and preventative measures being taken to protect the Jewish community.

On June 12, 2025, the Program on Extremism (PoE) at The George Washington University hosted a 15-minute briefing focused on the fatal shooting of two Israeli diplomats outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The discussion featured Russell H. “Rusty” Rosenthal, a retired FBI Special Agent and former FBI Legal Attaché, now serving as Executive Director of Community Security at JShield, and Lara Burns, PoE’s Head of Terrorism Research and also a retired FBI Special Agent.

Rosenthal began by outlining JShield’s role in supporting over 250 Jewish institutions across the D.C. region with risk assessments, security training, grant support, and law enforcement coordination. He then recounted the events of May 21, 2025, when Elias Rodriguez, a Chicago resident, fatally shot Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, both Israeli embassy employees, as they exited a private American Jewish Committee event. Rodriguez had purchased a ticket but never entered the venue, likely deterred by visible security. After the attack, he entered the museum, confessed to law enforcement, and stated: “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”

Rosenthal stressed several lessons: the importance of situational awareness, quick implementation of lockdown procedures in active threat situations, and the need for greater societal responsibility in identifying hate-fueled ideologies before they result in violence. He emphasized that most violent actors exhibit warning signs—what he termed “emotional leakage”—and that early intervention is key to prevention.

The event concluded with a call for vigilance, education, and preparation. Both Rosenthal and Burns highlighted that preventing future attacks requires not only institutional security, but also a collective effort to confront the normalization of hate and the ideologies that fuel it.