The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center released about the Colorado attack on Sunday, June 1, in which a man yelled “Free Palestine” as he threw a flamethrower at a group of people who were raising attention for the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Eight victims have been identified thus far, according to the Associated Press.
“The rise in open attacks against Jews in America has moved beyond propaganda, intimidation and vandalism. This violence cannot be ignored,” the center said in a statement.
The attacker, identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is charged with a federal hate crime, as well as state charges for attempted murder, according to the office of U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said in a statement.
Bondi referred to the attack as a “vile anti-Semitic violence” and said that the department would not tolerate “this kind of hatred.”
The center noted that the attack in Boulder, Colo., took place “just days” after the murder of two Israeli Embassy employees, who were attending the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
“We demand that there be legislation proposed in Congress to prioritize protecting Jews and put into law before the casualties continue to grow exponentially,” the center said.
Both the center and Bondi urge everyone to take action to support the Jewish community.
“We urge the public to unite against hate and violence, advocating for a society built on understanding and respect,” the center said.
“We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe,” Bondi said.
