Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor to address the heinous attack that occurred yesterday in Boulder, Colorado. Leader Schumer offered his prayers to the innocent victims and their families, condemning this brutal act of antisemitism. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Today, Jewish Americans – and all Americans – grieve in the aftermath of another antisemitic attack that took place yesterday in Boulder, Colorado.
This time, it was an elderly group of people, peacefully calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, brutally attacked on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates God giving the Torah to the Jewish people.
This morning, I spoke with senior officials at the FBI and urged them to use the full extent of their power to investigate this heinous attack.
These victims did nothing wrong. They aren’t involved with the tragic conflict in the Middle East. It’s reported that one of the victims was even a Holocaust survivor. All they were doing was expressing a simple plea: bring the hostages home. And because of their Jewish identity, they were targeted by hate.
When antisemitism is allowed to fester in more quarters of society, it historically leads to more terrorism and violence. What happened in Washington [DC], and in Boulder, is exactly that.
Assigning collective or hereditary blame to Jews for what it happening right now in the Middle East is blatantly antisemitic, and it is happening in too many corners of America today.
Our prayers are with the victims of the attack and their families, and we thank the first responders who apprehended the suspect before things got even worse.
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