JCPA Statement on Attack in Boulder, Colorado

In response to the attack in Boulder, Colorado, at an event raising awareness for Israeli hostages, Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, shared the following statement:

“While there are many details yet to be confirmed, we are closely monitoring the situation in Boulder, CO in which gasoline and a Molotov cocktail were apparently thrown at participants in a “Run For Their Lives” event for the Israeli hostages, causing multiple injuries.

This follows the deadly antisemitic shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum just days ago, and the firebombing of a Jewish governor’s home on Passover in April.

Make no mistake: if and when Jews are targeted to protest Israel’s actions, it should clearly and unequivocally be understood and condemned as antisemitism.

These attacks come alongside a broader rise in antisemitism, from hate crimes targeting Jews walking down the street, to efforts to marginalize, isolate, and discriminate against Jews, to antisemitic and white supremacist mass violence targeting synagogues and other spaces.

The Jewish community was already feeling incredibly vulnerable following years of this increasingly normalized antisemitism. These recent attacks only compound that fear.

Anyone who claims to care about fundamental civil and human rights must speak out against this hate and violence, no matter where it comes from.”

We will update as additional information is confirmed.