The brutal murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram in Washington, D.C. by a pro-Hamas extremist is a devastating tragedy. Every decent human being, regardless of religion or politics, should mourn the loss of these two bright young people whose lives were taken solely because of their connection to Israel. I mourn them deeply. I cry for their families. I am filled with righteous anger at the antisemitism and hatred that led to this act of terror. And I stand with every Jew, Christian, and person of conscience who condemns this evil.
But even in mourning, we must also speak the truth. And that truth is complicated.
Yaron was a committed member of a Messianic congregation in Israel, part of a movement that seeks to bring Jews to believe in Jesus. He identified with a faith that is not Judaism—he was not halachically Jewish—and yet he participated in a community whose mission, by its own admission, is to “reveal the face of Yeshua to Israel and the nations.” Sarah, a Reform Jew, had also begun participating in this path and was described as a “Jewish believer in Jesus.”
This raises a painful but essential issue. I want to be absolutely clear: while we mourn their deaths and honor their love for Israel, we cannot accept or legitimize the mission they were part of. Proselytizing Jews—especially in the land of Israel—is a red line that must not be crossed.
I say this with deep gratitude for the millions of Christians around the world who love Israel and the Jewish people without any agenda of conversion. At Israel365, I spend every day working with extraordinary Christian Zionists who stand with us shoulder to shoulder. Together, we are healing 2,000 years of separation, misunderstanding, and often persecution. But friendship with the Jewish people comes with one sacred, non-negotiable condition: absolute respect for our faith, our identity, and our spiritual boundaries. Attempts to convert Jews are not just disrespectful—they are a spiritual assault and a betrayal of everything true friendship stands for. They echo some of the darkest chapters of our history and must be unequivocally rejected. We Jews do not seek to convert Christians, and we expect the same respect in return. That is the foundation of any genuine friendship between our communities.
For nearly two thousand years, the Jewish people suffered under the weight of Christian attempts to convert us—through violence, coercion, and theological denigration. That history is not forgotten. We are only 15 million strong. We have survived empires and exiles, inquisitions and crusades. And we have the right—especially in our one ancestral homeland—to live without fear of spiritual exploitation.
There are Christian organizations operating in Israel today—like FIRM (Fellowship of Israel-Related Ministries)—that pour millions of dollars into efforts to convert Jews. They cloak their message in love, but their mission is one of replacement, not respect. Let me be direct: I despise this agenda. It offends our dignity and our faith. And I will oppose it with every ounce of strength I have.
We must hold two truths at once. Yaron and Sarah died al kiddush Hashem—in sanctification of God’s name—because they were killed for their support of Israel. We honor them for that and we grieve their loss. But we also cannot remain silent about the spiritual damage being done in the name of that same support. Yaron’s religious life was committed to a mission that Judaism fundamentally rejects.
To Messianic Jews and Christian missionaries, I say: you are not our partners in faith. You may believe you are helping, but from our perspective, you are harming. You may call it love, but we experience it as betrayal. There is no greater act of love than to simply let the Jewish people be who we are, in covenant with God, without trying to change us.
To our Christian friends who respect our boundaries and love us without condition: we love you back. We cherish you. We need you. And we thank you. You are a blessing to Israel and to the Jewish people. Together, we will build a better future—one built on mutual respect, not spiritual conquest.
May the memory of Yaron and Sarah be a blessing. And may we honor them not only with tears, but with truth.
