A 69-year-old Jewish man was killed in Southern California after he was struck in the head by a pro-Hamas goon. He was reportedly attacked because he was waving an Israeli flag.
The victim, who was identified as Paul Kessler, was hit in the head with a megaphone and fell to the ground in the Westlake Village area.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement mourning Kessler’s death.
Fox News reports some of the pro-Palestinian protesters as “extremely aggressive” and said they were yelling at police and “trying to incite a reaction or response.” The pro-Palestinian protesters could also be heard shouting “Allahu Akbar” in a video shared with Fox News Digital.
“We mourn the death of the Jewish man who died after being injured during a protest in Thousand Oaks. As details emerge and are confirmed, we stand resolute in condemnation of violence and antisemitism,” Bass said. “This death is a blow to our region at a time when tensions continue to rise worldwide. We must redouble our efforts to ensure violence and hate are met with accountability and consequences. Los Angeles refuses to harbor this hatred.”
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer was appalled by the brutality.
“This man, Paul Kessler, was killed because he waived this flag. In the United States of America. May his memory be a blessing. May the person who did it go to prison for the rest of his life,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy determined Paul Kessler died as a result of a blunt force head injury. The Sheriff’s Dept. says they are treating the death as a homicide.
“Our hearts are with the family of the victim,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said. “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.”
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“Violence against our people has no place in civilized society,” the Federation added. “We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it.”
Photos and videos, which you can see below, showed the man bleeding from his head lying on the ground.
Israeli media referred to the victim as “an older Jewish man” and the alleged attacker as a “young pro-Palestinian protester.”
“The injured man fell to the ground bleeding and was rushed to the hospital. His death was confirmed to have been caused due to a brain hemorrhage,” the Jewish News reports. “Israelis who were present at the scene described it as ‘a terrifying sight’ and expressed shock that such an incident took place in their neighborhood.”
So far no one has been arrested or charged in the attack.
BREAKING: This is the last photo of Paul Kessler taken just 5 minutes before he was attacked by an anti-Israel protester yesterday afternoon. I received photos and videos from a source at the scene. pic.twitter.com/QBbLIO0lBM
— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023
Awful hate crime in Los Angeles: Local law enforcement confirmed late Monday that a Jewish man died as a result of a head injury after being assaulted by a pro-Palestinian protester with a megaphone. pic.twitter.com/JvvCyI6c6w
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 7, 2023
Paul Kessler a 65 year old Jewish man, who was pro-Israel was beaten to death in Los Angeles by a pro-Palestinian activist with a megaphone. The victim was evacuated to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The LAPD has confirmed this. pic.twitter.com/tIHYAMYEv2
— Avraham Berkowitz (@GlobalRabbi) November 7, 2023
Anti-Israeli protesters continued chanting at the scene were the 65-year-old Jewish man Paul Kessler allegedly got beaten and later lost his life.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 7, 2023
His blood was still on the ground… pic.twitter.com/A8ph0lkUGI