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Jerusalem.- The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, described as "a despicable act of hatred and antisemitism" the shooting death of two members of the Israeli embassy in the U.S..
"It is a despicable act of hatred and antisemitism that has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured," Herzog indicated in a message on social media.
The Israeli president said he was "devastated" by the news, and assured that "terror and hatred" will not break the spirit of the country.
In a subsequent statement, Herzog's office detailed that the president spoke by phone with the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, and with Ted Deutch, executive director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which was organizing the event at which the two employees were killed.
Herzog asked Leiter to convey his condolences to the rest of the embassy staff, and "expressed his sorrow for the tragic loss of two young employees of the Israeli Embassy, a couple who were soon to be engaged, who were killed in the attack," the office explained.
In his conversation with Deutch, the president was informed about the event organized by the AJC, in which "young leaders" of the American Jewish community were meeting.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, assured that Israel is in contact with Washington about what happened, and assured that Israeli representatives in the world are especially exposed to risk. "Israel will not surrender to terror," Saar said in a message.
Also, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reacted to the attack, attributing it to the "same latent antisemitic hatred" of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
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"This town is stronger than any hatred and will overcome the desire to murder of its enemies," said Smotrich.
The two embassy employees who were murdered were outside the Jewish Museum of the Capital in Washington, where the AJC event was being held, when they were shot. The Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI are continuing to investigate the incident.
