Imagine surviving the Holocaust only to be attacked in America. It happened in Colorado.

USA Today

3 days ago

Imagine surviving the Holocaust only to be attacked in America. It happened in Colorado. | Opinion The antisemitic violence we have suffered in America in recent weeks was entirely predictable, given the level of animus already expressed toward Jews and Israel.
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Suspect in shocking Boulder 'terror attack' identified by authorities
Mohamed Sabry Soliman has been identified as the suspect in a shocking Boulder, Colorado terror attack.
The latest act of antisemitic violence in the United States erupted June 1 in Boulder, Colorado – less than two weeks after two young Israeli Embassy aides were murdered in Washington, D.C.
In Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was arrested and accused of hurling Molotov cocktails at innocent civilians, setting eight of them on fire. Soliman was charged on June 2 with a federal hate crime.
The latest victims had peacefully gathered at a pedestrian mall to call for the release of Israeli hostages, who Hamas terrorists captured when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The victims' ages are 52 to 88, and some of the injuries are serious. As of this writing, no one has died.
One of those hurt is a Holocaust survivor, according to a local rabbi.
Think about that for a minute.
Soliman, much like Elias Rodriguez, who is charged in the D.C. shooting, shouted 'free Palestine' as he carried out his disgusting mission. Soliman is an Egyptian national who was in the U.S. illegally, after his tourist visa expired two years ago.
The FBI has called Soliman's alleged actions a 'targeted terror attack.'
And that's exactly what it is. Terrorism is what is behind these horrendous acts of violence, from the two Israeli embassy aides who were murdered in our nation's capital to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home being set on fire to this weekend's attack in Colorado.
Opinion: Arson suspect 'harbored hatred' against Shapiro. This political violence must end.
The 'pro-Palestinian' movement is about intimidation. Violence is the logical next step.
Since January 2020, the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism reports it has documented '16 terrorist plots or attacks targeting Jews, Zionists or Jewish institutions in the U.S., including the Boulder attack.'
Nine of those instances have occurred in the past year, marking a significant increase in the violence.
'Sadly, none of this is surprising,' ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement, following the Boulder attack. 'In fact, it's entirely predictable. This is precisely where anti-Jewish incitement leads. This is exactly what vicious anti-Zionism enables."
It isn't surprising.
Opinion: Salman Rushdie canceled? Pro-Palestinian groups hamper speech for everyone else.
Campus protests have led to more violence
I've been appalled to see the protests erupt at U.S. colleges since 2023. Purportedly pro-Palestinian supporters have intimidated Jewish students and vandalized campus buildings. The protests also have spilled beyond campuses, with protestors shutting down freeways and spray-painting statues and other property.
This is far from a peaceful movement, and the violence seen in recent weeks was entirely predictable, given the level of animus already expressed toward Jews and Israel.
Opinion: A DEI officer fired for antisemitic comments? That shouldn't surprise you.
Vandalism and other crimes committed in the name of Palestinians also have become routine. On the same day as the Boulder attack, hundreds of peonies were maliciously cut at the University of Michigan's botanical gardens and arboretum. The June 1 incident was tied to 'pro-Palestinian' activity, as dozens of paper signs were left amid the destroyed plants encouraging people to 'wear a keffiyeh' and 'replace your U.S. flag with a Palestinian flag.'
As protestors become frustrated that their demonstrations aren't getting the response they want, I fear more human life will be at risk, as we saw this weekend in Colorado.
Let's be clear about what already has occurred: Terrorists who claim to support Palestinians have repeatedly attacked, injured and killed Jews in the United States. The global intifada has landed in America. The rise of hate has spread across the country.
We must not allow that to continue in America.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [e-mail] or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques