In a heartbreaking turn that underscores the rising tide of antisemitic violence in the United States, it has now been confirmed that a Holocaust survivor is among the eight elderly victims injured in Sunday’s terror attack on a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado.
NEW: A Holocaust survivor was among those burned the suspected terror attack in Boulder, according to a friend of the victim who spoke with 9NEWS’ @angelinemcccall.
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) June 2, 2025
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national in the country illegally, reportedly used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to attack peaceful demonstrators while shouting “Free Palestine” and other inflammatory slogans. Authorities have labeled the assault a “targeted terror attack,” and federal officials have confirmed it is being investigated as ideologically motivated violence.
The unnamed Holocaust survivor—now in her late 80s—escaped the Nazi regime only to become a victim once again, this time in the streets of a free America. A friend of the victim spoke to 9News, saying:
“She is an amazing person. Not because she is hurt. She always is an amazing person.”
Described as a beacon of light, education, and resilience, she has been a well-known figure in her community, frequently speaking at synagogues and schools to share her personal account of surviving the Holocaust and teaching the dangers of hate. Her friend added:
“Always a smile on her face. Her life wasn’t easy, but she is just a bright light. And anybody who is her friend is a friend for life.”
Her involvement in the rally organized by Run for Their Lives—a global grassroots campaign advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas—was an extension of that lifelong mission: to stand against evil and educate the world about its consequences.
Soliman’s presence in the U.S. raises urgent questions about immigration enforcement and policy failure. He entered the country legally on a B1/B2 visa in August 2022, which expired in February 2023. Yet instead of being deported or monitored, Soliman was granted work authorization in March 2023, under a policy executed during the Biden administration. That authorization expired this past March 2025, but Soliman had remained in the country unlawfully.
This allowed a visa overstay—an avoidable, known risk—to escalate into domestic terrorism.
NEW: A Holocaust survivor was among those burned the suspected terror attack in Boulder, according to a friend of the victim who spoke with 9NEWS’ @angelinemcccall.
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) June 2, 2025
The victims, aged 67 to 88, were attending a peaceful walk on Pearl Street in Boulder, held weekly to advocate for the release of hostages taken during the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. These were not activists in a geopolitical protest, but elders, survivors, and community members quietly seeking justice for the innocent.
That a Holocaust survivor—having endured the horrors of the 20th century’s most horrific genocide—was re-victimized by modern-day antisemitic violence on American soil is not just tragic. It’s a moral indictment of complacency.
