Noem visits Israel in wake of Israeli embassy staff killings in DC
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem continued her first tour of the Middle East as part the Trump administration on Monday, May 26. Noem’s diplomatic trip is intended to show support for the victims of a deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. that left two Israel embassy staffers dead on Wednesday, May 21.
What did Noem say?
Noem acknowledged that her trip comes at the request of President Donald Trump after the murders of American Sarah Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, who had planned on proposing to Milgrim this week in Jerusalem.
“President Trump extends his greetings and his grief to all of you,” said Noem during a press conference on Monday. “And he stands with you as you as we fight this hatred in this word. And Know Yaron and Sarah’s lives will be of significance and matter, and will bring a unity among us that will help us defeat our enemies.”
The suspect arrested in the earlier D.C. shooting, Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, had yelled “free Palestine” toward the cameras as he was taken into custody, then later told police that he “did it for Gaza,” according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. Palestinian protest leaders in the United States, along with their Israeli counterparts and U.S. President Donald Trump, have denounced the killings.
Noem attended a memorial ceremony in Israel for Milgrim and Lischinsky along with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in tribute to the couple that were shot and killed outside a Jewish Museum last week.
Where did Noem go?
Noem first visited Bahrain before arriving in Israel. In Bahrain, Noem visited Qal-at al-Bahrain Fort and met with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Sakhir Royal Palace.
Following her arrival in Israel, Noem visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem and was welcomed at the airport by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Huckabee wrote in a post on X that Noem will become the first-ever “Cabinet Secretary to participate in Jerusalem Day.”
Noem also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night.
War in Gaza
As Noem visited, Israeli strikes killed at least 56 more people in Gaza on Monday, including 36 at a school shelter. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were targeting Hamas militants. At least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, and over 90% of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced from their homes.
Israel’s ramped up attacks in Gaza come as aid into Gaza has been blocked for nearly three months. The United Nations warns of imminent famine if the blockade continues and more aid isn’t quickly allowed into the enclave.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
