The killing of two Israeli embassy staff members on the steps of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, should leave no room for ambiguity: This was not only a heinous act of violence but a watershed moment in the evolving landscape of antisemitic extremism in the United States.

The victims — a young couple attending a professional event hosted by the American Jewish Committee — were gunned down in a city that hosts not just symbols of power, but also institutions tasked with preventing exactly this kind of attack.

According to law enforcement officials, the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old man from Chicago, had been pacing near the museum before opening fire on a group outside. After the shooting, he reportedly entered the building, shouted “Free Palestine,” and was arrested. Police, joined by FBI officials and federal prosecutors, are investigating the attack as a likely hate crime. However, the broader context is already alarmingly clear for those who study extremism.

Over the past two years, the United States has seen an unprecedented normalization of antisemitic rhetoric across political, cultural, and digital spheres. What was once coded........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)