New York, New York – 22 May 2025
The J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism, representing the seven largest Diaspora Jewish communities, issued the following statement in response to Wednesday’s deadly shooting at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.:
We are devastated by the antisemitic terrorist shooting targeting the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., which claimed the lives of two young people in the prime of their lives. They had been attending an American Jewish Committee event for young leaders focused on diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives.
The threat of antisemitic violence and terrorism targeting Jewish institutions and individuals is a daily reality for our communities. Particularly in the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, we have witnessed an exponential rise in antisemitic acts and threats, accompanied by a relentless stream of rhetoric that incites and legitimises such hatred.
This heinous attack is yet another wake-up call that governments, law enforcement agencies, and societies across the world must take threats and language directed at the Jewish community seriously, and ensure that our communities are afforded the security they need. In the past decade, Jews have been murdered in synagogues, kosher supermarkets, and their homes. Antisemitic attitudes, stereotypes, and conspiracy theories have become increasingly normalised. They are a threat not only to Jewish communities but also to the freedoms and rights of all people.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli-German, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, an American from Kansas, who were members of staff at the Israeli Embassy in Washington. May their memories be a blessing.
J7 Members:
Argentina: Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA)
Australia: Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ)
France: Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF)
Germany: Central Council of Jews in Germany
United Kingdom: Board of Deputies of British Jews
United States: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations
The J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism was established in July 2023 in response to rising levels of antisemitism around the globe. It comprises leading Jewish organisations in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.