Wubi News

Boulder attack renews safety concerns for US Jewish communities

2025-06-04 10:00:02
SWAT officers on the scene after an attack in Boulder, Colorado that targeted a group calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

On Sunday, a group gathered in Boulder, Colorado, to raise awareness for hostages held in Gaza was attacked, leaving 12 people injured.

The suspect, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, accused of throwing incendiary devices at them, allegedly planned the attack for a year, and told police he wanted to "kill all Zionist people," according to court documents.

It was the latest in a string of attacks against Jewish people and institutions, ratcheting up anxiety among those in North America's Jewish community who see these incidents as signs of growing antisemitism in the US.

The Boulder attack occurred just weeks after a suspect shot and killed a couple outside the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. They were later identified as employees of the Israeli embassy who had been attending an event at the museum. In April, the official residence of Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro was set on fire, just hours after the Jewish lawmaker celebrated the first night of Passover.

"Jews are feeling the impact and are more afraid than they were two weeks ago, or that fears that existed in some communities a few weeks ago are more heightened," said Adina Vogel Ayalon of J Street, a pro-Israel advocacy group that's critical of the war and has called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

"These types of hate crimes are not distinguishing between where you fall on the political spectrum about the war" between Israel and Hamas, Ms Ayalon said. "And that is something very unsettling."

Those conversations are again happening in the wake of the Boulder incident.

"The attacks, especially given the succession of attacks in a short period of time have made every Jewish American question their security, whether it's their personal security or the security of Jewish institutions that they visit," said Haliey Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America.

"There's a sense that what has occurred in DC and Boulder could have happened anywhere, could have happened to anyone."

The Jewish Colorado organisation announced a fundraiser to support increased security for Boulder's Jewish community, as well as financial and trauma support for victims of the attack. Its goal is $160,000.

Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, Canada frequently joins Run For Their Lives events and plans to continue advocating for the hostages in Gaza.

But he worries the Boulder attack would not be an isolated incident.

"It's only going to inflame more radicalisation," he said. "It's only going to inspire more people to do those things."