Democratic socialist congressional hopeful Melat Kiros has repeatedly downplayed concerns that a firebombing attack at a Jewish community rally in Boulder last year was antisemitic. Kiros, who recently secured a surprise victory over 15-term incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, has also stated that the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel were "inevitable."
During an interview last month, Kiros expressed uncertainty about the perpetrator's motives in the June 1, 2025, firebombing incident, which targeted a rally for Israeli hostages. The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, threw Molotov cocktails and used a flamethrower, shouting anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian slogans, according to the FBI. Soliman, who reportedly stated his intention was to "kill all Zionist people," is now serving a life sentence.
"I don’t know what was in the heart of the perpetrator," Kiros told 9News. "All I know is that he went and attacked innocent people because of what they might have believed." She added that she did not know the specific beliefs of the rally attendees, many of whom she stated were focused on the return of hostages.
Kiros later told NOTUS that it was "not entirely obvious that it was just motivated by antisemitism," while acknowledging that antisemitism "absolutely" could have been a factor. She emphasized the importance of knowing the exact motivation. Kiros did acknowledge the firebombing as a "hate crime" and affirmed that "protecting Jewish people in Denver, and across this country, isn’t negotiable."
Throughout her campaign, Kiros has been a vocal critic of Israel, which she has described as an apartheid state. She previously stated she was fired from the Sidley Austin law firm three years ago for criticizing firms that sought to address antisemitism on college campuses. In an open letter at the time, she wrote that deterring future lawyers from criticizing Israeli government actions would make firms "complicit in Israel’s weaponization of anti-Semitism against legitimate concerns for the right of self-determination and the livelihood of the Palestinian people."
In her victory speech, Kiros declared, "I didn’t flinch because I stood by every word and I always will."
Kiros also engaged with anti-Israel streamer Hasan Piker in May, during which she referred to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks as an "inevitable consequence of apartheid." She later clarified that she did not intend to suggest the attacks were justified. Similarly, she suggested to 9News that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the U.S. were an "inevitable consequence" of American actions in the Middle East. Kiros explained this as meaning that U.S. destabilization in the region could lead to violence as the only perceived response, and stressed the need to eliminate conditions that foster such violence.