07 November 2023 , 08:00
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A Jewish man has died in California after an alleged altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor during a dispute over the Israel-Hamas war.
Paul Kessler, 69, died in hospital yesterday. Authorities say he was struck during an incident in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks. Witnesses said Kessler was involved in a “physical altercation” with one or more counter-protesters, fell backward and struck his head on the ground, according to a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
An autopsy said the man was killed in a homicide caused by a blunt-force head injury and some witnesses have said Kessler was hit by a megaphone, but this is unconfirmed. Currently, investigators with the Sheriff's Department said police had not ruled out a hate crime, but no arrests have been made.
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Footage showed a man lying on the ground at the demonstration with what appears to be a head injury (ABC7)One witness told ABC: "They were both on an even ground, and they were yelling at each other, and then the man brought his megaphone up and hit Paul, and Paul went down."
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Footage showed a man lying on the ground at the demonstration with what appears to be a head injury before two people - including a woman wearing a 'Free Palestine' jacket - come to his aid. Friend and lawyer Justin Cohen told the New York Post he was "shocked" by what happened.
Other unconfirmed reports suggested that Kessler may have been pushed and fallen (twitter/StopAntisemites)
'I’ve never known him to have a modicum of violence in him in his entire life,' a friend said (twitter/StopAntisemites)“I’ve never known him to have a modicum of violence in him in his entire life,” Cohen, 38, said. "He was not a closet Zionist – he wore it like a badge of honour... He was a proud Jew and proud Israel supporter.”
Rabbi Noah Farkas, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, said the group had heard reports that Kessler was struck in the head by a megaphone held by a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. However, he said federation officials weren’t at the scene or involved in the demonstrations.
An autopsy said the man was killed in a homicide caused by a blunt-force head injury (Fox 11)Other unconfirmed reports suggested that Kessler may have been pushed and fallen. Rabbi Michael Barclay of Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village, near Thousand Oaks, urged people to avoid jumping to conclusions about what happened.
“I just got off the phone with the Chief of Police,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “They have conflicting reports of what happened, and they did interview the suspect that is identified in social media at the event. They have no video.”
In a statement, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said: "We are devastated to learn of the tragic death of an elderly Jewish man who was struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor in Westlake Village. Our hearts are with the family of the victim.
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"While we wait for more information from our law enforcement partners, we remind you that this is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year alone. Violence against our people has no place in civilised society."
The statement added: "We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it."
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