Boulder Councilmember Refuses to Sign Condemnation of Firebombing Without 'Anti-Zionist' Label

On June 1, 2025, a horrific firebombing attack targeted a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado, injuring 12 Jewish participants, including a Holocaust survivor, in what authorities labeled a “targeted, anti-Semitic attack.” The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, shouted “End Zionists” while hurling Molotov cocktails, explicitly admitting his intent to “kill all Zionist people,” per federal court filings. Yet, Boulder City Council member Taishya Adams refused to sign a joint statement condemning the attack as anti-Semitic, insisting it be labelled “anti-Zionist” instead, a stance that has ignited fury and exposed the insidious rise of antisemitism masked as anti-Zionism in the U.S.

“I cannot sign a letter that equates the calls for a ‘Free Palestine’ with antisemitism,” Adams posted on Facebook, adding, “Without the anti-Zionist part, the reader will fail to understand a key driver of this terrible attack.” Her refusal to acknowledge the attack’s clear anti-Semitic motives, despite Soliman’s hateful rhetoric, implies a dangerous justification of violence against Jews under the guise of political activism. Adams, who claimed the perpetrator was “explicit about ending Zionism,” ignored the fact that targeting Jews for their support of Israel’s existence is textbook antisemitism, as over 80% of American Jews affirm Israel’s right to exist, per Anti-Defamation League (ADL) data.

The city’s statement, signed by all other council members, declared, “We cannot and will not allow antisemitism to become normalized here.” Adams’ dissent, as Boulder’s liaison to Nablus, a city in Samaria, follows her history of alleged anti-Jewish bias, including blocking a hostages’ advocacy group on Instagram. Her actions reflect a broader, alarming trend: the ADL reported 9,354 anti-Semitic incidents in 2024, a record high, fuelled by anti-Israel rhetoric that often spills into Jew-hatred. Boulder’s Jewish community, already rattled by months of disruptive anti-Israel protests at council meetings, feels increasingly unsafe, with one Jewish council member citing fears for personal security. Refusing to condemn this attack unequivocally as anti-Semitic is not activism, it’s complicity in normalizing violence against Jews, and it must be called out as such.