World Series champ calls out AOC over response to Boulder attack
Former MLB star Kevin Youkilis called out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after the lawmaker reacted to the attack on those who called for the release of Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity in Boulder, Colorado, over the weekend.
Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on social media on Monday she was "horrified" by the attack.
"My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country," she added. "Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists."
The two-time World Series champion, who is Jewish, called out Ocasio-Cortez and wondered what she had done to confront those who have called for intifadas in New York.
"Jews are targeted with violence and it's the same virtue signal post time and time again," he wrote on X in response. "What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight."
Youkilis is mostly known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, but he played for the New York Yankees in the final year of his MLB career in 2013.
When asked what he wanted the Democrat lawmaker to do, Youkilis responded, "Confront the radical mobs chanting for intifadas in NYC.
"That would be brave leadership, but we know politicians, on both sides of the aisle, shy away in fear of losing votes and power."
In the midst of last year's chaos at Columbia University, Ocasio-Cortez called anti-Israel agitators on campus "peaceful." The message came as Jewish students were recommended to leave home as students were caught on camera sympathizing with Hamas.
The FBI described Sunday's violence as a "targeted terror attack."
Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, was accused of using homemade incendiary devices to light eight people on fire as they gathered to advocate for the return of Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity in a daytime attack at Boulder's Pearl Street Mall.
Videos depict a shirtless man, allegedly Soliman, standing menacingly and holding two more devices after the initial attack as bystanders filmed him. Authorities eventually swarmed the scene, and he surrendered.
Soliman first arrived in the United States on a non-immigrant visa in August 2022. That visa expired in February 2023, but he remained in the country. He received a work permit from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in March 2023 that was valid through March of this year. He once again overstayed his visa and was in the country illegally during Sunday's attack.
The advocates gathered for a Run for Their Lives event, a run/walk to raise awareness about Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity. The victims ranged in age from 52 to 88, and one of them was in critical condition.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
10 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Brandon Lowe hits solo HR, RBI double as Rays beat Rangers 5-4
TAMPA, Fla. — Brandon Lowe hit a solo home run in the first inning and added an RBI double to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Wednesday night. Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe hit back-to-back doubles and Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda followed with consecutive singles before Jake Magnum's two-run single with two out capped Tampa Bay's four-run third inning and made it 5-0.
Hamilton Spectator
14 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Vigil held for victims of Boulder firebombing attack as suspect's family fights deportation
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colorado, for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city's downtown, while a federal judge has blocked the deportation of the suspect's family. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged with a federal hate crime and state counts of attempted murder in Sunday's attack on a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. He is being held in a county jail on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in state court on Thursday. Witnesses say Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails at the group and authorities say he confessed to the attack that injured 15 people. Rachelle Halpern, who has been walking with the group since 2023, said during Wednesday evening's vigil that she remembers thinking it was strange to see a man with a canister looking like he was going to spray pesticide on the grass. Then she heard a crash and screams and saw flames around her feet. 'A woman stood one foot behind me, engulfed in flames from head to toe, lying on the ground with her husband,' she said. 'People immediately, three or four men immediately rushed to her to smother the flames.' Her description prompted murmurs from the audience members. One woman's head dropped into her hands. 'I heard a loud noise, and the back of my legs burning, and don't remember those next few moments,' said a victim, who didn't want to be identified and spoke off camera, over the event's speakers. 'Even as I was watching it unfold before my eyes, even then, it didn't seem real.' Defendant's family investigated U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher on Wednesday granted a request from his wife and five children, who like Soliman are Egyptian, to block their deportation after U.S. immigration officials took them into custody. They have not been charged. Federal authorities have said Soliman has been living in the U.S. illegally , and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the family was being processed for removal. It's rare that a criminal suspect's family members are detained and threatened with deportation. 'It is patently unlawful to punish individuals for the crimes of their relatives,' attorneys for the family wrote in the lawsuit. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the plaintiff's claims as 'absurd' and 'an attempt to delay justice.' She said the entire family was in the country illegally. Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, a 17-year-old daughter, two minor sons and two minor daughters were being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, said Eric Lee, one of the attorney's representing the family. Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his planned attack, according to court documents. El Gamal said she was 'shocked' to learn her husband had been arrested in the attack, according to her lawsuit. Victims increase to 15 people and a dog On Wednesday, authorities raised the number of people injured in the attack to 15 from 12, plus a dog. Boulder County officials said in a news release that the victims include eight women and seven men ranging in age from 25 to 88. Details about how the victims were impacted would be explained in criminal charges set to be filed Thursday, according to Boulder County District Attorney's office spokesperson Shannon Carbone. Soliman had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in Sunday's demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling 'Free Palestine,' police said. According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman told police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people' — a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Authorities said he expressed no remorse about the attack. The family's immigration status Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents. Soliman arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023, McLaughlin said in a post on X. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that has also expired. Hundreds of thousands of people overstay their visas each year in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security reports. Soliman's wife is an Egyptian national, according to her lawsuit. She is a network engineer and has a pending EB-2 visa, which is available to professionals with advanced degrees, the suit said. She and her children all are listed as dependents on Soliman's asylum application. The case against Soliman Soliman told authorities that he had been planning the attack for a year, the affidavit said. Soliman's attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after a state court hearing Monday. Public defenders' policy prohibits speaking to the media. The attack unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war , which has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. ___ Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington, Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
26 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Vigil held for victims of Boulder firebombing attack as suspect's family fights deportation
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Hundreds of people squeezed into the Jewish Community Center in Boulder, Colorado, for a vigil that featured prayer, singing and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses of the firebombing attack in the city's downtown, while a federal judge has blocked the deportation of the suspect's family. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged with a federal hate crime and state counts of attempted murder in Sunday's attack on a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. He is being held in a county jail on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in state court on Thursday. Witnesses say Soliman threw two Molotov cocktails at the group and authorities say he confessed to the attack that injured 15 people. Rachelle Halpern, who has been walking with the group since 2023, said during Wednesday evening's vigil that she remembers thinking it was strange to see a man with a canister looking like he was going to spray pesticide on the grass. Then she heard a crash and screams and saw flames around her feet. 'A woman stood one foot behind me, engulfed in flames from head to toe, lying on the ground with her husband,' she said. 'People immediately, three or four men immediately rushed to her to smother the flames.' Her description prompted murmurs from the audience members. One woman's head dropped into her hands. 'I heard a loud noise, and the back of my legs burning, and don't remember those next few moments,' said a victim, who didn't want to be identified and spoke off camera, over the event's speakers. 'Even as I was watching it unfold before my eyes, even then, it didn't seem real.' Defendant's family investigated U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher on Wednesday granted a request from his wife and five children, who like Soliman are Egyptian, to block their deportation after U.S. immigration officials took them into custody. They have not been charged. Federal authorities have said Soliman has been living in the U.S. illegally, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the family was being processed for removal. It's rare that a criminal suspect's family members are detained and threatened with deportation. 'It is patently unlawful to punish individuals for the crimes of their relatives," attorneys for the family wrote in the lawsuit. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the plaintiff's claims as 'absurd' and 'an attempt to delay justice.' She said the entire family was in the country illegally. Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, a 17-year-old daughter, two minor sons and two minor daughters were being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, said Eric Lee, one of the attorney's representing the family. Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his planned attack, according to court documents. El Gamal said she was 'shocked' to learn her husband had been arrested in the attack, according to her lawsuit. Victims increase to 15 people and a dog On Wednesday, authorities raised the number of people injured in the attack to 15 from 12, plus a dog. Boulder County officials said in a news release that the victims include eight women and seven men ranging in age from 25 to 88. Details about how the victims were impacted would be explained in criminal charges set to be filed Thursday, according to Boulder County District Attorney's office spokesperson Shannon Carbone. Soliman had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in Sunday's demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling 'Free Palestine,' police said. According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman told police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people' — a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Authorities said he expressed no remorse about the attack. The family's immigration status Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents. Soliman arrived in the U.S. in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023, McLaughlin said in a post on X. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that has also expired. Hundreds of thousands of people overstay their visas each year in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security reports. Soliman's wife is an Egyptian national, according to her lawsuit. She is a network engineer and has a pending EB-2 visa, which is available to professionals with advanced degrees, the suit said. She and her children all are listed as dependents on Soliman's asylum application. The case against Soliman Soliman told authorities that he had been planning the attack for a year, the affidavit said. Soliman's attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after a state court hearing Monday. Public defenders' policy prohibits speaking to the media. The attack unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington. ___ Golden reported from Seattle. Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington, Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City, Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
