A former diplomat from the Biden administration is raising serious concerns about a slogan widely used in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, stating there is “no question” that “Free Palestine” is often a call for violence. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt’s remarks challenge the narrative pushed by many on the left that the phrase is purely symbolic or peaceful.
“I think there’s no question, whatever its initial intent and whatever people were saying initially or meant it, it has become a call for violence, and not violence against Israelis, which is wrong, but violence against Jews," Lipstadt told CNN's "Inside Politics" host Dana Bash.
Her comments come after two staff members from the Israeli embassy, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were shot and killed this week as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The suspected shooter, Elias Rodriguez, was arrested at the scene and reportedly shouted "free Palestine" during his arrest. He has been charged with the murders and could face the death penalty.
Lipstadt said she wasn’t surprised by Miligrim and Lischinsky’s deaths, saying that Jewish people are constantly being targeted. She stated that nearly every Jewish institution, especially in the U.S., requires security, adding that for Jewish youth, it's normal to encounter security measures at places like synagogues, community centers, or cultural events, highlighting the constant need for protection.
Lipstadt stated that, while the phrase may have had a different meaning in the past, she now sees it as a call for violence.
“And anybody who tries to separate the two and try to say, ‘Oh, I’m just against Israel’s policies in Palestine or in Gaza, and I’m not antisemitic,’ this was antisemitism pure and simple. That he happened to have killed two Israeli staff didn’t matter. It was a Jewish event, they were targets.” She continued.