Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to the attack at a Boulder, Colorado vigil for hostages held by Hamas over the weekend.
Why It Matters
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people. Today, around 58 people remain captive. Israel has since launched an offensive on Gaza, killing more than 54,000 people, according to the Associated Press, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry.
A suspect identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been charged after allegedly throwing bottles of flammable liquid at people attending the vigil on Sunday. The FBI said the attack was being investigated as terrorism.
What to Know
Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who has emerged as a leading critic of Israel, responded to the attack in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday morning at about 11:30 a.m.
“I am horrified by last night’s horrific attack in Boulder. My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country. Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists,” she posted.
Other members of the “Squad,” a group of progressive House Democrats, also condemned the attack.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, wrote on X: “The violent attack in Boulder is horrific. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families. Violence has no place in our communities.”
Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, wrote on X: “I’m holding the victims and families in Boulder, Colorado in my heart. Violence against anyone is never acceptable. We must reject hatred and harm in all its forms.”
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Soliman, 45, was booked on charges including murder in the first degree, though police have not said anyone died in the attack. He also faces felony charges for using explosives or incendiary devices, first-degree assault, and causing serious injury to the elderly, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that there were at least 9,354 antisemitic attacks in the U.S. in 2024, a 344 percent increase over the past five years, in a report released in April. A majority of those attacks “contained elements related to Israel or Zionism,” the report read.
The Boulder attack comes less than two weeks after two Israeli embassy workers were fatally shot near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last month.
Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Tlaib all condemned that attack. Tlaib wrote in a post to X at the time that “nobody deserves such terrible violence,” while Omar wrote she was “appalled” by the shooting.
Ocasio-Cortez wrote she was “devastated” by the attack, adding that antisemitism “must be confronted and rooted out everywhere.”
What People Are Saying
Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, on X: “As the American Jewish community continues to reel from the horrific antisemitic murders in Washington, D.C., it is unfathomable that the Jewish community is facing another terror attack here in Boulder, on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot no less. Several individuals were brutally attacked while peacefully marching to draw attention to the plight of the hostages who have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 604 days. I condemn this vicious act of terrorism, and pray for the recovery of the victims.”
Representative Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat who represents Boulder, on X: “Andrea and I are praying for the victims of the horrific act of terror in Boulder. The scourge of anti-semitism has metastasized across our country. We must do more — now — to stop this violence. Tonight, on the eve of Shavuot, and always, we stand with our Jewish community.”
What Happens Next
Soliman is being held on $10 million bail in Boulder.
Update 6/2/25, 1:17 p.m. ET: This article was updated to reflect that Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib had condemned the attack on X.
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