US Attorney General Pam Bondi opened a Friday address to the Israeli-American Council (IAC) National Summit by recalling the May 2025 killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside Washington’s Capital Jewish Museum, calling the attack a clear example of antisemitism in the United States and pledging aggressive federal enforcement.
“Sarah and Yaron were shot, murdered because they were Jewish,” Bondi said, referring to Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. “It was horrible, horrible. We will not tolerate that in our country any longer.”
Bondi told the audience that federal prosecutors are pursuing capital punishment in the case, saying, “We are prosecuting the monster, and we will seek the death penalty.” The suspect, Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, has been indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges tied to the May 21, 2025, shooting outside the museum, with counts that can carry the death penalty under federal law.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and longtime prosecutor who was sworn in as the 87th US attorney general on February 5, 2025, spoke at the IAC summit in Hollywood, Florida, an annual gathering that this year drew political figures and pro-Israel activists.
“Action has consequences, and inaction has consequences too.”
Framing antisemitism as a national crisis that surged after October 7, Bondi argued that institutions across American society failed to respond with urgency.
“The sad truth is for way too long, antisemitism has been allowed to grow unchecked in this country,” she said. “Too many institutions have abdicated their moral responsibility to speak up. Too many so-called leaders have stayed quiet. Action has consequences, and inaction has consequences too.”
Bondi highlighted Justice Department actions she said were aimed at reversing what she called an “unacceptable trend,” citing harassment of Jewish students, targeted boycotts, and rising security costs for synagogues. “We will not allow acts of antisemitism to go unpunished in this country under the leadership of Donald Trump,” she said.
Bondi recalls America's antisemitic incidents
Bondi pointed to a federal civil lawsuit brought under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, saying it has been used against “violent protestors” accused of intimidating Jewish Americans at synagogues. Her remarks align with DOJ actions reported in 2025, when the department used the FACE Act in connection with alleged interference at a synagogue event in New Jersey, described at the time as a first-of-its-kind use of the law to protect a house of worship.
She also cited major campus-related enforcement steps, including a $200 million settlement with Columbia University, settlements with Northwestern University and Cornell, and a broader investigation into the University of California system. Columbia publicly confirmed a $200 million settlement over three years as part of its resolution with the federal government.
In the speech, Bondi credited Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Civil Rights Division leadership for the effort, and singled out Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Trump administration appointee who leads the DOJ Civil Rights Division.
Bondi also praised the Trump administration’s hostage diplomacy after October 7, naming Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as “unsung heroes,” and said she had met freed hostages through her personal network.
“God bless you. We will continue to fight for Israel,” Bondi concluded. “Shabbat Shalom.”