Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros has stated that Israel's actions in the Middle East are putting Jewish people in grave danger and inspiring antisemitic attacks worldwide. Kiros, a 29-year-old socialist, recently defeated a long-serving incumbent in her Denver-area congressional district primary.
In a recent interview, Kiros addressed the concerns of Colorado Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Phil Weiser regarding her past remarks about Israel and a deadly attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder last year. Weiser had expressed a desire to discuss her statements with her, a prospect Kiros welcomed.
"At the end of the day, what happened in Boulder was a horrific attack on a group of Jewish people that were peacefully protesting, and we are seeing that the actions of Israel are putting Jewish people in great danger, and the hate and the antisemitism that's rising as a result of it is one that I have every intention of prioritizing and combating," Kiros said. She added, "I really look forward to sitting down with Phil Weiser to figure out how we can work together to combat that hate."
The remarks came after a host pressed Kiros on whether a firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators in Boulder could be described as antisemitic.
In that same interview, Kiros commented on the perpetrator of the Boulder attack, stating, "I don't know what was in the heart of the perpetrator. All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed." She further suggested that most attendees at the protest were likely there simply to advocate for the return of hostages taken during the October 7th attacks.
The attack Kiros referenced occurred on June 1, 2025, when Mohamed Soliman threw incendiary devices at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder. The assault resulted in the death of 82-year-old Karen Diamond and injured approximately a dozen others. Soliman, who disguised himself as a gardener before the attack, has since pleaded guilty to state murder charges and received a life sentence without parole. He denied being motivated by antisemitism, instead describing Zionism as "the enemy."
Kiros made her opposition to Israel a central theme of her primary campaign. In her victory speech, she declared one of her main objectives to be ending what she termed the "genocide in Palestine."
Kiros is part of a broader trend of far-left candidates gaining traction within the Democratic Party. Her primary win followed similar successes for left-leaning candidates in New York primaries the previous month.