DENVER — A man who told investigators he was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people” when he threw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators raising awareness of Israeli hostages appeared briefly in federal court for the first time Friday to face a hate crime charge.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, sat in the jury box in a Denver courtroom dressed in a green jail uniform and his wrists handcuffed, a U.S. Marshal sitting in the row behind him. Listening to the proceedings in Arabic through an interpreter, he answered “yes” and “I understand” in Arabic as Magistrate Judge Timothy P. O’Hara explained his rights.

Before the brief hearing started, Soliman mostly looked away from the crowded gallery, but after the proceedings he nodded and smiled as his lawyers spoke to him.

A conviction on a hate crime charge typically carries a penalty of no more than 10 years in prison, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Hindman said if the crime involves an attempted killing, the sentence can be as long as life in prison.

Soliman is represented by public defenders who do not comment on their cases to the media. He is scheduled to appear in federal court again June 18 for a hearing in which federal prosecutors will be asked to show they have enough evidence to prosecute Soliman. He’ll face a similar hearing in state court on July 15.

He is accused in Sunday’s attack on the weekly demonstration in Boulder, which investigators say he planned for a year. The victims include 15 people and a dog. He also has been charged in state court in Boulder with attempted murder and assault counts.