A violent antisemitic attack on a peaceful pro-Israel march in Boulder has ignited political turmoil, exposing deep divisions in the city’s progressive identity.
At a Glance
- On June 1, Mohamed Sabry Soliman attacked a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, injuring 15 people, including an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor.
- Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed his visa, faces federal hate crime and multiple state charges.
- The attack has intensified political divisions in Boulder, with some officials refusing to condemn the incident.
- Councilmember Taishya Adams declined to sign a city statement condemning antisemitism, citing concerns over conflating anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
- The incident has sparked national debate over immigration policy, rising antisemitism, and political responses to hate crimes.
Political Fallout
The June 1 firebombing by Mohamed Sabry Soliman during a peaceful “Run for Their Lives” march has roiled Boulder’s political landscape. Soliman, reportedly an Egyptian national who had overstayed a visa and was living illegally in the U.S., now faces federal hate crime charges in addition to 17 state-level felonies. Victims included children and an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor.
Yet instead of unity, the aftermath has produced discord. Boulder City Councilmember Taishya Adams refused to endorse an official condemnation of antisemitism, arguing the proposed statement conflated antisemitism with political critiques of Israel. Her stance has drawn intense backlash, with Rabbi Marc Soloway calling it “insensitive and supportive of antisemitism.”
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The political reverberations have reached Washington. Republican leaders, including President Donald Trump, cited the attack as evidence of the failures of Democratic immigration policies, blaming lax enforcement for allowing Soliman to remain in the country. The incident has reignited calls for stricter visa monitoring and deportation policies.
Community Response
Despite the trauma, Boulder’s Jewish community remains defiant. Organizers of the targeted march have vowed to continue the weekly events, which advocate for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. The annual Boulder Jewish Festival proceeded days later with bolstered security.
According to the FBI’s latest hate crime report, antisemitic attacks now account for nearly 68% of all religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States—a staggering rise reflecting a broader national trend. The Anti-Defamation League has warned of a post-October 7 spike in antisemitic incidents, often veiled as political critique.
Locally, tensions remain raw. Critics accuse progressive leaders of moral equivocation, while defenders argue that valid critiques of Israeli policy are being unjustly labeled as hate speech. As Boulder debates identity and tolerance, the city finds itself on the front lines of a national reckoning over hate, immigration, and political responsibility.