Deputy Consul General of Israel in New York, Tsach Saar, is sending a warning to America after the deadly shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in D.C.: Radicalism isn’t just a problem for Israelis and Jews — it’s a problem for all Americans.

“It’s not an Israeli problem and not a Jewish problem, it’s an American problem. These people who incite, who call for violence, who use antisemitic rhetoric, at the end of the day, they are shaking the pillars of American democracy,” Saar told Fox News Digital.

The diplomat also spoke about the phrase “globalize the Intifada,” a slogan that has become more common at anti-Israel demonstrations. Saar says the phrase refers to those seeking to export violence beyond the Middle East to places like America, making the D.C. shooting much more than a local tragedy. 

Image shows Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were the latest victims in a long history of attacks on Israeli embassy staff members.  (Image of police vehicle: Photo by Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images,Image of Sarah and Yaron: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Saar told Fox News Digital that it’s clear that not just Jewish and Israeli students, but also those who express pro-Israel views feel “unsafe” on campuses across the country. While Saar acknowledged that America’s First Amendment “is sacred,” he warned that there is a difference between expressing one’s viewpoint and inciting violence.

Even as Jews and Israelis feel unsafe, Saar does not think the answer is to hide who they are, but rather to unite and “resist by all legal means” those who use lies and hateful rhetoric to incite violence. 

“The answer is not hiding our stars [of David], we should be proud of who we are,” Saar said. He added that he had seen individuals on social media expressing support for the murders of Milgrim and Lischinsky.

Protesters marched to New York’s historic Grand Central Terminal, where they occupied the station for a period of time on April 7, 2025. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Antisemitism has been on the rise in the U.S. since Hamas carried out its attacks against Israel in October 2023. 

In April, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) released its annual audit on antisemitism in which it identified 9,354 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. during 2024, marking a 5% increase from 2023. This was the fourth year in a row that the organization noted a record-breaking number of antisemitic incidents across the country.