Remembering Yaron and Sarah

“I’m an ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords and believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbors and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the State of Israel and the Middle East as a whole. To this end, I advocate for interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding.”

This is what Yaron Lischinsky wrote on LinkedIn before he was murdered last night.

Yaron was a Christian, born in Germany, who immigrated to Israel at the age of 16 out of deep commitment to the Jewish people and the values he believed in.

He earned a Master’s degree in Government, Diplomacy, and Strategy from Reichman University, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

At the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, he worked as a research assistant in the political department, where he focused on building Israel’s international relationships and advancing peace in the region.

Like his partner, Sarah Milgrim, also an embassy staff member, Yaron was a passionate peace activist.

Together, they worked to realize a shared vision of coexistence and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.

Yaron was planning to propose to Sarah in Jerusalem next week. He had already chosen the ring.

When Elias Rodriguez shot them, simply because they were Jewish and Israeli, he didn’t just take the lives of a young couple with their future ahead of them.

He murdered the kind of people the world most desperately needs: those working every day to build a more peaceful, just, and shared future for all.

May their memories be a blessing.