Democratic nominee for Colorado Congressional District 1 Melat Kiros is responding to unaffiliated Colorado Congressional District 1 candidate Shimon Blau’s claims that Kiros’s comments on the Boulder firebombing attack were a “dog whistle” to allow for more antisemitism.
“I've had the the privilege of being able to have conversations with members of the Jewish community, leaders in the Jewish community over the last few months, and I've heard from a lot of folks that the Boulder fire bombing, the impact of you know it being an attack on a group of Jewish people was antisemitic in nature, and I hear that,” Kiros said. “This was an attack that was specifically attacking Zionism and Israel. And the reality is, is that this war and this genocide in Palestine right now is putting Jewish and Muslim people in danger all across the world.”
Blau said he joined the race after hearing Democratic nominee Melat Kiros say she could not call the Boulder firebombing attack on a mainly Jewish group antisemitic without knowing the suspect's intent.
"She was unwilling to call it an act of antisemitism," Blau said. "It's really a dog whistle to allow for more, and it puts me, it puts other members of the Jewish community at risk."
Kiros said she’s spoken with Democratic Jewish community members who are hesitant to vote for her due to her comments on the Boulder attack.
“I've been having conversations with folks and talking about what it is. You know, especially as a woman from a country that has seen ethnic violence to this degree. Genocide took place a few years ago in the region that my family comes from, where an entire people were slaughtered for the actions of a political party that said it was doing it in their name,” Kiros said. “The consequences of ethnic violence anywhere in the world have to be taken seriously, and my responsibility is to make sure that every single Jewish Denver resident feels safe in this city, and making sure that we are protecting them here, and making sure that our tax dollars are not contributing to increasing any of that danger abroad either, is my priority, and I will always be committed to doing that. “
Kiros said if elected, she will work to protect her constituents regardless of faith or ethnicity.
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