The list of non-Jews, non-Israelis and non-Palestinians who I won’t be taking guidance from about Judaism, Israel and anti-Semitism continues to grow. The newest addition: Melat Kiros.
The Democratic nominee for Colorado’s Congressional District 1 joins a long list, including:
• New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who says that using the sacred space of a synagogue to promote moving to the Jewish holy land “violates international law.”
• Eduardo Martinez, mayor of Richmond, Calif., who said Chanukah is “private” and “personal,” even though a fundamental law of Chanukah is to publicly acknowledge the miracle of the oil.
• Sophia Johnson, Students for Justice in Palestine leader at CSU, who said that “there is no greater threat to American Jewish students than the existence of Israel.”
• University of Copenhagen professor Lino Vogt, who displays in his classroom an image of Betty Boop, face covered with a keffiyeh, Molotov cocktail in hand, with the slogan “Death to the IDF,” and says it’s not a call to violence.
• I won’t be attending the “listening session” for Jewish and Israeli students facilitated by William Jackson, principal of the Nathan Hale School in Washington, the same principal accused of taking no measures when a student came to him about anti-Semitic abuse.
Now here is Kiros, who won’t say whether the lethal attack on Run For Their Lives in Boulder, June 1, 2025, was anti-Semitic.
Did she question Dylann Roof’s intention when he murdered black Christians at prayer?
Did she listen to Judge Nancy Salomone’s sentencing of the Boulder firebomber and very clear explanation of the perpetrator’s anti-Semitism?
Melat Kiros tells us — via CNN, because she is unwilling to engage directly with the Jewish community at large — that combatting anti-Semitism is one of her top priorities and that she wants to do so by “decoupling” Jews and Israel. Because, she says, it’s Israel — i.e. the Jewish state — that is endangering Jews, not the perpetrators of anti-Jewish hate.
Not only is this blame the victim on steroids, it is a person who is not Jewish telling Jews that she understands their challenges better than they do themselves. It beggars belief that people who say they are deeply concerned with human rights so casually dismiss the human rights of Jews. That alone is disqualifying.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com
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