By World Israel News Staff

Just over a week after an Egyptian national illegally residing in the United States set Jewish marchers on fire in Boulder, Colorado, President Donald Trump’s nominee for antisemitism czar warned that false accusations of genocide in the Gaza Strip were fueling anti-Jewish bigotry and violence in the U.S.

On Monday, Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett, in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), hosted an emergency summit on antisemitic violence.

“This is a time when we come together to support each other, support our Jewish community, and to call out the antisemitism at the root of this attack,” said Mayor Brockett.

“We have a very long road ahead for recovery and healing in our community, certainly for the victims,” he added. “But I’m very much looking forward today to learn the lessons about how we can do better moving forward, how we can support our Jewish community, combat antisemitism, and make sure that these kinds of things never happen again.”

“Because to be clear, hate and antisemitism have absolutely no place in the city of Boulder, in the state of Colorado, or anywhere in the United States.”

The Boulder attack and the murder the previous week of a young couple outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., have intensified concerns over the surge in antisemitism worldwide and in the United States after the Hamas invasion of Israel in 2023.

“Antisemitism is not just a Jewish problem — it’s a global emergency,” said CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz. “And if we wait for someone else to act, or for the next tragedy to strike, it will already be too late.”

Omer Shachar, an organizer of the “Run For Their Lives” walk that was attacked on June 1, shared his experiences from that day.

“I was surprised by the sudden sound of glass shattering, and I was terrified to see that members of our group were on fire,” he recalled.

“I realized immediately that we were under attack. I screamed ‘Run’ when I noticed that one of the participants, an 82-year-old woman, had fallen and was in flames. I tried to remove her from the blaze, but the heat had melted her skin and she was slippery to the touch.”

“Over the past week, it’s been difficult for me to walk in public without fear of being attacked. The terrorist attack in Boulder is a stark reminder that when hate speech is tolerated, violence follows.”

“Phrases like ‘Globalize the Intifada’ are not abstract — they are calls to action that incite violence. We must recognize and confront antisemitism in all its forms, ensuring that our communities remain safe for all residents.”

Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun intervieww on Sids and Friends

The summit was also addressed by Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, U.S. President Donald Trump’s designee to serve as the next State Department Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.

In his speech, Kaploun underscored the importance of interfaith cooperation in the fight against antisemitism, while linking false claims of Israeli genocide in Gaza to violent attacks on Jews around the world.

“I think it’s important that we all stand together and our voices are heard,” Kaploun said. “What steps can we take to work to prevent the next round of ‘How do we fight antisemitism?’ Because what we’re doing now currently isn’t achieving the goals that we need to have happen.”

“The misinformation, the lies, the ‘genocide’ rumors, these have be stopped. It stops through education. It stops through calling out individuals immediately. When you hear something antisemitic, I urge, I plead with you, I beseech you, condemn it immediately. Hold people accountable.”

“This is not a time to hope and pray antisemitism goes away,” he added. “The only way this goes away is by all of us being vigilant, calling it out, and educating people that hate is not tolerated in this country, or for that matter, anywhere in the world. Antisemitism must be eradicated.”

CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa stated, “In Boulder, as in DC, Jews were hunted, and the world looked away. When Jews are attacked in America, too many in the media, social justice groups, and institutions respond not with outrage, but indifference.”

“No other community is targeted for their ethnic or religious ties to another nation, only Jews, and when it happens, the loudest voices for justice fall silent. That’s not subtle, it’s explicit antisemitism.”

“Jewish blood should not be politicized,” Roytman emphasized. “We demand the same outrage and action every other community receives. When Jews are stabbed, shot, or burned, we will not tolerate silence. Silence can be deadly, and the next attacker can only be stopped with real action.”