Socialist Colorado Candidate Blames Israel for Endangering Jews
A socialist congressional candidate in Colorado sparked controversy by suggesting Israel's actions inspire antisemitic attacks against Jewish communities abroad.
Melat Kiros, who recently won her Democratic primary in a Denver-area district this week, made the remarks during a Wednesday television interview, according to New York Post.
Kiros is among a growing cohort of far-left, anti-Israel candidates gaining traction within the Democratic Party. Her primary victory ousted longtime incumbent Diana Degette, following similar upsets by radical leftist candidates in New York primaries last month.
The controversy centers on Kiros’s response to questions about a deadly 2025 attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder. Colorado Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser recently condemned her reluctance to characterize the attack as antisemitic, an issue that a 9News host raised with Kiros earlier this week.
The host noted that Weiser, who won his gubernatorial primary and is heavily favored to become Colorado’s next governor, expressed serious concerns about Kiros’s statements regarding Israel and specifically the Boulder firebombing. Weiser requested a meeting with Kiros to discuss their differing perspectives.
Kiros agreed to the meeting but then proceeded to shift blame for antisemitic violence onto Israel itself.
We are seeing that the actions of Israel are putting Jewish people in great danger, she claimed, adding that rising antisemitism is a consequence of Israeli policy that she intends to combat.
In a previous interview, Kiros had avoided calling the Boulder attack antisemitic, stating she could not know what was in the perpetrator’s heart and suggesting the victims may have simply been advocating for the return of hostages taken on October 7.
Deadly Attack Targeted Pro-Israel Demonstrators
The June 1, 2025 attack was carried out by Mohamed Soliman, who targeted a peaceful pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder. The assault killed 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injured approximately a dozen others.
Prosecutors say Soliman disguised himself as a gardener before launching two flaming projectiles at the demonstrators.
He pleaded guilty to state charges including murder in May and received a life sentence without possibility of parole. While Soliman expressed remorse and even stated he deserved the death penalty, he denied antisemitic motivation. However, The New York Times reported that he delivered what the paper described as a rambling diatribe against Zionism, which he called the enemy.
Soliman still faces potential capital punishment on federal hate crime charges.
Anti-Israel Agenda Central to Campaign
Kiros made opposition to Israel a cornerstone of her primary campaign. In her victory speech after securing the Democratic nomination, she declared that ending what she called the genocide in Palestine would be among her top priorities in Congress.
Her comments reflect a broader shift within progressive Democratic circles, where anti-Israel rhetoric has become increasingly mainstream despite concerns about rising antisemitism in the United States and abroad.
With information from New York Post
