The suspect in Wednesday night’s fatal shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., allegedly authored a manifesto calling for violent attacks against individuals and institutions connected to Israel, declaring nonviolent protest “insufficient” and urging supporters to “escalate for Gaza.”

Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, is accused of killing two Israeli embassy staff members as they exited an American Jewish Committee (AJC) Young Diplomats event around 9:00 p.m. Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was arrested. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed a motive, but a manifesto shared online under Rodriguez’s name appears to outline a premeditated justification for violence.

The document, titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” was posted to a now-suspended account on X, and has been linked to Rodriguez by the ADL Center on Extremism with what it calls a “high degree of certainty.” The manifesto urges supporters to abandon what it terms ineffective forms of protest in favor of armed action, calling Israel’s military operations “genocide” and declaring that its “abettors” have “forfeited their humanity.”

“The action would have been morally justified taken 11 years ago during Protective Edge,” the manifesto states, referring to Israel’s 2014 military campaign in Gaza. “But now, in 2025, it feels like the only sane thing to do.” The text concludes with the signature, “Free Palestine, Elias Rodriguez.”

The post also praises Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. Airman who died in 2024 after self-immolating outside the Israeli embassy in protest of U.S. support for Israel, and calls such acts “moral” demonstrations of resistance.

Rodriguez’s alleged social media activity, archived before the account was suspended, included multiple statements celebrating anti-Israel violence and sharing posts praising Hezbollah and Hamas. One post read, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hamas,” while another declared “Death to Israel.”

Law enforcement officials are investigating the manifesto as part of a broader probe into Rodriguez’s motivations and potential affiliations. Though Rodriguez has not been formally linked to any terror organization, his online presence indicates ties to extreme anti-Zionist rhetoric and groups with histories of militant protest.

According to the ADL, Rodriguez had previous associations with the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), participating in multiple protests from 2017 to 2018 in Chicago. Both groups have sought to distance themselves from the attack. In a statement, PSL wrote: “We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting…We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.”

Nevertheless, radical groups online have openly praised the attack. Masar Badil, a transnational anti-Israel organization, called the shooting a “natural consequence” of Israeli policy in Gaza. Others, including the Bronx Anti-War Coalition, described the act as the “highest expression of anti-Zionism,” and posted, “We need more Elias Rodriguez in the world.”

Meanwhile, white supremacist and far-right forums also reacted with grotesque approval, with some praising the attack as “enemies killing each other,” and others using the suspect’s identity to spread anti-immigrant hate — despite no evidence Rodriguez is an immigrant.

The attack comes amid a steep rise in antisemitic violence and threats in the United States. According to the ADL, 1,702 antisemitic incidents have already been recorded in 2024, including more than 600 related to anti-Israel demonstrations. This marks the eighth violent plot or attack targeting Jews or pro-Israel figures since July 2024.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)