Planning to "Kill All Zionists"

"It would have been wonderful to have prevented this crime before it occurred/"

"Absolutely the goal would be for federal law enforcement [and the FBI] to really track and investigate people, and [I] obviously wish that they'd've been successful in this case and prevented this from occurring."

"The presence of physical protection is key, making sure that police and state troopers are in public gathering places, and people see that and have their comfort level."

"[I advocate for] bringing together voices from the left, the right, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, to join in the outright condemnation of these kinds of terrorist acts."

Colorado Governor Jared Polis 

 

"The premise of the group is to peacefully raise awareness of the hostages. We’re apolitical, we’re not protesting anything."

"We really drill into our leaders that we are not discussing politics."

"Politics are not brought up during the marches or the gatherings. We get people from all walks of life -- who vote Republican, Independent, Democrat, who support the Israeli government, or don’t support the Israeli government."

"[Safety has always been a top priority for group chapters, but they] never thought such a violent attack would happen." 

"It's definitely shocking and disheartening and upsetting. We are praying for all the victims, and hoping that we have a speedy recovery."

Run for Their Lives Global Coordinator Shira Weiss  

Law enforcement officers detain suspect in Boulder, Colorado on June 1, 2025 -- Reuters

Accused of using a makeshift flamethrower and an incendiary device for a planned attack on a group in Boulder, Colorado which regularly gather to bring attention to the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza, Mohammed Sabry Soliman, an illegal resident of the United States has been charged with a federal hate crime, court documents attest. The 45-year-old suspect informed police that he had planned the attack for a year, with the intention of targeting the "Zionist group".

 

He was responsible for injuring eight people, among them those with burns, as the group was in the process of concluding their weekly silent vigil as a demonstration with the intention of raising awareness of the plight of the Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. When they were attacked by the shirtless man, carrying improvised incendiary devices that he threw at them, he shouted out "Free Palestine".

 

Soliman, according to an FBI affidavit, confessed to  the attack once he was taken into custody on Sunday, informing the police he would do it again. The demonstration and attack at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder took place during a conflict between Israel and Hamas that has seen a rise in violent antisemitism in the United States. Barely a week earlier a man who shouted out "Free Palestine" was charged with the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers, outside a Jewish museum in Washington.

 

"Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country", special agent in charge of the FBI's Denver field office, Mark Michalek, commented. Those wounded in the attack range in age from 52 to 88. Their injuries range from serious to minor. The volunteer group Run For Their Lives had just concluded their weekly vigil raising visibility for the hostages. A witness shouting "He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails", is heard in a video from the scene, as a police officer, gun drawn, advances on the suspect.

Video shows Colorado attacker Mohammed Sabry Soliman, accused of throwing Molotov cocktails into a Colorado group that had gathered to bring attention to Israeli hostages in Gaza. Photo by Handout/Eye witness

 

Over a dozen unlit Molotov cocktails were found by law enforcement close to where Soliman was arrested. Glass wine carafe bottles with clear liquid and red rags hanging out of them. In his car, law enforcement found papers with the words "Israel", "Palestine", and "USAID", according to the affidavit  released in support of the charge of a federal hate crime filed by the Justice Department . Under questioning Soliman described researching on YouTube and buying ingredients for the homemade Molotov cocktails he put together.

 

His goal was clear and simple: to "kill all Zionists". "He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack", according to the affidavit. After entering the United States in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023, Soliman was living with his wife and five children illegally in the US. According to Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, Soliman had filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023 that had since expired. 

 

He was employed, according to an online resume under his name, by a Denver-area health-care company in accounting and inventory control. Under education in his resume, Al-Azhar University in Egypt was listed, known for its historical role as a foremost center for Islamic and Arabic learning, located in Cairo. 

 

Soliman's wife and their five children were taken into ICE custody on Tuesday. Leading Judge Gordon Gallagher of the U.S. District Court in Colorado to direct the federal government to stop deportation proceedings. "Defendants SHALL NOT REMOVE" Soliman’s wife and her five children from the District of Colorado or the United States "unless or until this Court or the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacates this order" Gallagher wrote.

 

Police cordon off Pearl Street following an incident that the FBI is investigating as an act of terror on June 1, 2025 in Boulder, Colorado. Photo by Chet Strange /Getty Images