Statement on the Firebombing in Boulder Colorado

June 1, 2025

On the eve of Shavuot—a sacred celebration of Jewish identity and tradition—we are forced yet again to confront a horrifying reality: Being Jewish, supporting Israel, or simply gathering as a community now makes American Jews a target. This afternoon in Boulder, Colorado, a man threw a Molotov cocktail into a peaceful solidarity walk calling for the release of 58 hostages still held by Hamas—a humanitarian cause that should unite, not divide.

 “This marks the second violent assault on Jewish and pro-Israel civilians in the U.S. in less than two weeks—a chilling escalation that cannot be dismissed as coincidence. On May 21, two Israeli Embassy staffers were gunned down in cold blood in Washington, D.C., and now the extremist violence has come to Boulder, CO,” said Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk. “Both attacks are the direct result of months of anti-Israel propaganda, moral equivocation, and silence in the face of raging antisemitism. The nonstop demonization of Israel and Zionism on our campuses, in our streets, and across digital platforms has created a climate where hate flourishes and physical attacks—even murder—of Jews is inevitable.”

 We are grateful to Colorado law enforcement for stopping what could have been a catastrophic loss of life, but police cannot carry this burden alone. Our political, academic, and civic leaders must finally meet this moment with unflinching clarity, action, and policy. The Simon Wiesenthal Center stands with the Jewish community of Colorado and with every community now living in fear because hatred of Jews has once again resulted in physical violence against Jews. Silence and inaction in the face of this onslaught is complicity.

For further information, please email Erik Simon at esimon@wiesenthal.com, Deborah Camiel at dcamiel@wiesenthal.com, join the Center on Facebook, or follow @simonwiesenthal for news updates sent directly to your X feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS, and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO).