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Antisemitism Strikes Colorado’s Jewish Community

ISRAELI FLAG | In a garden in Boulder, Colorado, near the scene of the tragedy. (Photo/EFE)

OPENS DEBATE ON IMMIGRATION ISSUE

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

In Boulder, Colorado, fear has replaced routine. What had for months been peaceful demonstrations calling for the release of Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza turned into a violent attack perpetrated by Mohamed Soliman, an Egyptian national residing in Colorado Springs.

The victims, all elderly individuals, were ambushed by Soliman, who threw Molotov cocktails and used an improvised flamethrower. According to his confession, he had been planning the attack for a year. Only his inability to purchase a firearm—since he is not a U.S. citizen—prevented an even more tragic outcome.

For many members of the local Jewish community, this act has left a deep wound. Eliot David Flaten, a Boulder resident who regularly joins his daughters in pro-Israel demonstrations, shared: “This man, if he had had the chance, based on what he said, he would have murdered my family and me as well. My daughters, who have a Mexican mother, are proud of their heritage. If he had had the chance to burn them, I believe he would have.”

The Case Moves Through the Justice System

Authorities have filed 16 counts of attempted first-degree murder and federal hate crime charges. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser explained the gravity of the case. “This attack has all the elements of a hate crime. The individual knew who he was targeting, knew they were Jewish, knew why they were there, and planned to kill them. We all must look in the mirror and say: this kind of political violence is unacceptable,” said Weiser.

The prosecutor also noted that antisemitic incidents have surged dramatically in Colorado since the October 7, 2023, attacks. “After October 7, we saw a 40% increase in antisemitic incidents in Colorado.” The debate, however, has extended beyond widespread condemnation of antisemitism. It has also become politicized due to the immigration status of the attacker, who was seeking asylum after overstaying his work visa.

Attacker’s Immigration Status

Republican Congressman Gabe Evans blamed Colorado’s immigration policies for the attack. “My advice to Democrats in Colorado is to allow state and local agencies to work with the federal government. If they don’t, they’re helping antisemitic terrorists commit crimes like the one we saw in Boulder,” said the representative for Colorado’s 8th district.

From civil rights groups like the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, the response was swift. Raquel Lane Arellano rejected attempts to link the crime to the attacker’s immigration status. “Immigration status doesn’t cause violence. Hate does. When we focus on whether someone is undocumented, we risk feeding the very cycles of hate that fuel these tragedies.”

As the investigation continues, Boulder faces a painful reckoning with the resurgence of antisemitism and the urgent need to protect all communities from violent extremism.