'It betrays our values': Progressives grapple with deadly shooting

Progressives Confront Violence Linked to Pro-Palestinian Movement

In a shocking incident that has left progressives in a state of turmoil, two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington were murdered by a gunman who invoked a slogan that has resonated with many American liberals during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. After his arrest, the suspect was heard shouting “free, free Palestine,” a phrase that has become increasingly common at peaceful protests and across social media platforms over the past 18 months.

This tragic event has reignited discussions around the emergence of violent radicalism within leftist circles. While progressives are keen to emphasize that they share little in common with the perpetrator aside from a purported support for Palestinian rights, they argue that such violence ultimately undermines their cause. Layla Elabed, an organizer in Michigan and head of the Uncommitted National Movement—which emerged in response to U.S. backing of Israel’s military actions following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack—stated, “It betrays our values and hands more power to those already pushing authoritarian crackdowns.”

The urgency for progressives to respond to this violence is palpable. “Where’s our Martin Luther King today? I don’t know where that individual is. Who is that individual?” mused an anonymous progressive strategist, lamenting the perceived absence of moral leadership in contemporary society.

Since the onset of the Gaza conflict, a radical fringe of the pro-Palestinian movement has intermittently captured national attention. Notably, thousands of demonstrators have faced arrests, with some forcibly occupying university buildings. POLITICO previously reported that an online network of U.S. pro-Palestinian activists included resources advocating for “escalation” of political actions that could fall outside legal parameters, alongside pro-Hamas rhetoric.

Kevin Rachlin, the Washington director of the Nexus Project—a left-leaning Jewish advocacy group—believes that leftists are indeed engaging in some soul-searching. “This is more and more proof that we need to address antisemitism as a full society versus addressing [it] on the left or on the right,” he remarked.

Historically, antisemitism has been more closely associated with fringe alt-right groups, highlighted by events like the 2017 “Unite the Right” neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Former President Donald Trump faced criticism for dining with white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022.

In the aftermath of the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum, supporters of the pro-Palestinian movement, including liberal lawmakers, found themselves defending their stance in a manner reminiscent of how conservatives have had to respond to far-right violence in recent years. Now, some pro-Palestinian activists are concerned that this act, branded by federal authorities as a targeted act of antisemitism, might derail any progress they have made towards their policy objectives, especially amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s expanding military operations in the region. “We hope and caution against this vigilante violence being used to undermine the movement to end the genocide,” cautioned Sandra Tamari, executive director of the pro-Palestinian Adalah Justice Project. “We are talking about hundreds of thousands of Americans calling for a ceasefire and arms embargo.”

Alex Pascal, a former Biden administration official who contributed to strategies combating antisemitism, stated, “We cannot allow this violence to be weaponized by those who might exploit it to further degrade our democratic rights and freedoms.”

For years, Trump and Republicans have framed the pro-Palestinian movement as a collection of radical terrorist sympathizers. While the Trump administration has taken increasingly stringent measures to suppress the movement, Democrats and advocates have countered this narrative, claiming it constitutes an assault on free speech.

In the wake of the murders, pro-Palestinian lawmakers swiftly condemned the killings as acts of antisemitism. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) expressed his “appall” at the “heinous act,” while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) asserted, “Absolutely nothing justifies the murder of innocents.”

Republicans wasted no time in characterizing these attacks as symptomatic of broader extremism within the movement. “The Palestinian cause is an evil one,” remarked Rep. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) during an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “The only end of the conflict is total surrender by those who support Muslim terror.”

As details of the attack emerged late Wednesday night, the Trump administration was quick to respond. Attorney General Pam Bondi and D.C.’s new interim U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro, visited the crime scene, and Trump took to Truth Social shortly after midnight to declare, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA!”

This isn’t the first time the left has found itself navigating such treacherous waters. Earlier this year, following the detention and deportation efforts aimed at Mahmoud Khalil—a Palestinian green card holder and leader in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University—the Trump administration justified the arrest by alleging Khalil supported Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Democrats largely rallied around detained pro-Palestinian activists, perceiving them as victims of constitutional violations, yet also carefully distanced themselves from endorsing Khalil’s views.

“I abhor many of the opinions and policies that Mahmoud Khalil holds and supports,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated at the time, but added, “If the administration cannot prove he has violated any criminal law to justify taking this severe action and is doing it for the opinions he has expressed, then that is wrong.”

Holly Otterbein contributed to this report.