Increase in Antisemitic Extremism Driving Surge of Terror Plots in the United States Since 2020

The Boulder, Colorado terror attack on Sunday, occurring just two weeks after the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff in Washington, D.C., shines a light on a significant increase in antisemitic incidents in the United States since 2020.

Ruthie Blum, a senior contributing editor at Jewish News Syndicate and a former adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressed that the surge in antisemitism post-October 7, 2023, revealed a long-existing issue that was now coming to the fore. She noted a historical pattern of sporadic antisemitic and anti-Israel actions on college campuses, among other places, but she emphasized that the recent escalation was occurring across various locations in the United States.

Blum added that recent antisemitic events are “a sign of a decaying society.”

The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, aged 45, is currently facing a federal hate crime charge alongside state charges for attempted first-degree murder, crimes against at-risk individuals, assault, attempted commission of class one and class two felonies, and utilizing explosives or incendiary devices during a felony. This legal action follows the devastating consequences of Sunday’s attack, resulting in the loss of eight lives.

He allegedly threw explosives into a crowd Sunday in Boulder as a pro-Israel group, “Run for Their Lives,” participated in a gathering on Pearl Street advocating for Hamas to release Israeli hostages. 

An Illinois grand jury indicted Brandon Simonson and Kristopher Martin on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder, hate crime and assault for allegedly killing a Jewish inmate at the prison where they were being detained.