Anti-Israel progressive apologizes for ‘centering’ antisemitism after left-wing backlash

Kiros reiterated that her foreign-policy priorities remain focused on ending what she described as Israel’s occupation and rejected the argument that anti-Zionism should be equated with antisemitism.

By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner

Colorado Democratic congressional nominee Melat Kiros quickly walked back comments on Israel and antisemitism after receiving criticism from left-wing activists over comments she made during a nationally televised interview.

During an appearance on PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, Kiros argued that progressive leaders should articulate an approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that rejects antisemitism while presenting a broader vision for the region.

She expressed concern that, in the absence of such leadership, extremist voices could exploit the issue for political gain.

She lamented that commentators such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens are “pretending to care about Palestinian safety when really it’s just masking their overt hatred for Jewish people.”

She also stated that following the conclusion of her election, she has sought out conversations with the local Zionist Jewish community to understand their perspective.

She also expressed openness to traveling to Israel, stating that a trip to the Jewish state could help open her mind.

“If we are not presenting our vision of what we believe in with our democratic values, that extends not to the Palestinian people but to the Israeli people and the Jewish people, you know, that land has a distinctly Jewish character, a distinctly Christian character, a distinctly Muslim character,” she said.

“We, I think, are doing a disservice to the people of that region by not offering our progressive vision in a way that isn’t immediately swatted down as, you know, bigoted or antisemitic.”

Kiros, an attorney who defeated longtime Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado’s Democratic primary with backing from the Democratic Socialists of America, has frequently been one of Israel’s most outspoken critics.

She has previously accused Israel of apartheid and genocide while on the campaign trail.

Kiros drew further criticism for declining to characterize the 2025 Boulder attack targeting a march for Israeli hostages as antisemitic after being given multiple chances to condemn the incident.

During the June 2025 attack, the perpetrator, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, threw a Molotov Cocktail and other incendiary items at a group of Jews while shouting “Free Palestine.”

The attack resulted in one fatality and a dozen physical and mental injuries. Investigators later revealed that Soliman left behind documents that read, “Zionism is our enemy until Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land.”

Within a day of the interview, Kiros responded to criticism from pro-Palestinian activists and Al Jazeera journalist Sana Saeed on social media.

Saeed, in particular, called her conciliatory tone “gross” and wrote that progressives running on a pro-Palestine platform should “know better.”

Kiros said she had “fumbled” her remarks.

She reiterated that her foreign-policy priorities remain focused on ending what she described as Israel’s occupation and rejected the argument that anti-Zionism should be equated with antisemitism.

She also argued that Democrats have failed to lead on the issue, allowing both right-wing antisemites and pro-Israel advocacy groups to shape the public debate.

“To be clear, my foreign policy priority is ending Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and genocide in Palestine. I also reject the notion that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, and it’s important that we distinguish the two in order to combat actual antisemitism,” she wrote.

“I was being asked about rising antisemitism in this interview, and I was trying to say that my concern is while voters across the political spectrum wake up to Israel’s atrocities and our government’s complicity in it, the Democratic Party is failing to meet this moment,” she continued.

She then lamented focusing on antisemitism during the interview, writing that “a movement for liberation must center the Palestinians being oppressed, occupied, and systematically exterminated—and the islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism used to justify genocide is too often ignored.”

Saeed, the reporter Kiros responded to, writes for the Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera news outlet.

In the years following the Oct. 7 massacre, Saeed has repeatedly downplayed the prevalence of antisemitism in the US and has criticized progressives for talking about combatting antisemitism, arguing that such declarations fuel hatred against Palestinians and Arabs.

The rapid reversal underscored the political pressures facing progressive candidates navigating debates over Israel, particularly within activist circles where language surrounding Zionism, antisemitism, and the war in Gaza is intensely scrutinized.

The episode also highlighted how social media activists police progressive lawmakers to stake out more hardline positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Kiros has emerged as one of the Democratic Socialists of America’s highest-profile congressional nominees this cycle following her upset primary victory in one of Colorado’s safest Democratic districts.

Her positions on Israel have drawn significant attention from both Jewish organizations and progressive activists, making the controversy surrounding her remarks one of the first major tests of her general-election campaign.

anti-IsraelDemocratic partyMelat Kiros