BERLIN – Global reactions poured in Thursday in the hours after two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum.
Authorities say the suspect yelled, “Free, free Palestine” after he was arrested.
The violence was condemned by world leaders. Here’s what they said:
What did U.S. President Donald Trump say?
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” Trump posted on social media early Thursday. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
What did Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say?
Netanyahu ’s office said Thursday that he was “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,” he said in a statement.
What did U.S. Vice President JD Vance say?
Vance said “my heart breaks” for the victims. “Antisemitic violence has no place in the United States,” he wrote on social platform X.
What did former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris say?
“I stand with the entire Jewish community in condemning this sickening violence,” she wrote on X. “Antisemitism and violence have no place in our country. We all must come together and fight hatred.”
What did Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, say?
“It is just a horrific tragedy, an act of terror, and another way in which we have to recognize Jewish people all over the world are being singled out for these kind of horrible attacks,” Huckabee said in an interview on Fox & Friends.
Huckabee went on to push back against critics of Israel’s execution of the war in Gaza, blaming Hamas for the war dragging on.
“We’ve got a lot of ignorant, idiotic people who don’t seem to understand the difference between right and wrong,” Huckabee said. “It shouldn’t be that complicated.”
What did British Prime Minister Keir Starmer say?
Starmer said “antisemitism is an evil we must stamp out wherever it appears. My thoughts are with their colleagues, family and loved ones, and as always, I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community.”
Starmer’s spokesperson said the government has “offered its full support to the Israeli embassy in London.”
In April, a man carrying a knife tried to break into Israel’s London embassy. Abdullah Sabah Albadri was charged with a terrorism offense.
This month five Iranian men were arrested over an alleged plot to attack the embassy. They were later released, and police say the investigation is continuing.
What did French President Emmanuel Macron say?
Macron says he has reached out to his Israeli counterpart after the killings in what the French leader called “an antisemitic attack.”
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s foreign minister, called it “an abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity” and said “nothing can justify such violence.”
France’s government on Thursday instructed police and military officials to put “visible and dissuasive” security in place around Jewish sites.
The instructions were issued by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and published by his ministry. The minister said security should be reinforced around Jewish sites – he specified synagogues, schools, shops, media and cultural events – following the shooting.
“The measures put in place … should be visible and dissuasive,” his instructions to police and defense officials said. “I know I can count on your mobilization.”
What did German Chancellor Friedri
ch Merz say?
Merz, in a post on X, said he was “shocked” by the news.
“Our thoughts are with their families,” Merz wrote. “At this stage we must assume an anti-Semitic motive. I condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms.”
What did Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani say?
Italy strongly condemned the attack and expressed solidarity with the Israeli government and victims.
“Antisemitic violence that is the child of hatred against Jews is not acceptable and must be stopped,” Tajani said in a statement.
He said Italy was committed to fighting all forms of hatred and discrimination and promoting “a culture of respect and peaceful coexistence through education, remembrance and the firm defense of human rights.”
What did Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, say?
“There is and should be no place in our societies for hatred, extremism, or antisemitism. I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Israel,” Kallas, EU foreign policy chief, said.
What did the Czech Republic’s foreign ministry say?
The Czech Foreign Ministry said it “condemns the vile antisemitic attack.”
It added: “Our heartfelt condolences go to the families and loved ones of the victims.”
What did South Korea’s Foreign Ministry say?
“The government of the Republic of Korea expresses deep concern over the occurrence of a barbaric criminal act, which cannot be justified under any circumstances,” the ministry said.
What did Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard say?
“This act of violence is yet another horrifying example of why hate and antisemitism must never be normalized,” she wrote on X.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
