An elderly Jewish man dies after an altercation with pro-Palestinian protesters

An elderly Jewish man has died of injuries sustained in an altercation at dueling Israeli-Palestinian protests in Southern California over the weekend, which authorities have not ruled out as a hate crime.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office says 69-year-old Paul Kessler died in an area hospital on Monday, a day after suffering a head injury during a confrontation with pro-Palestinian protesters at a busy intersection in Thousand Oaks (which is about 40 miles West of Los Angeles).

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled his death a homicide, caused by blunt force head injury.

Video of the apparent aftermath of the incident circulating on social media shows a man lying on the sidewalk, bleeding and moving his arms, as two people (including a woman wearing a “Free Palestine” jacket) come to his aid.

There are still questions — and conflicting reports — about the exact circumstances surrounding Kessler’s death. Both Jewish and Muslim groups are mourning his death and cautioning people not to jump to conclusions about the events leading up to it.

Citing witness accounts, the sheriff’s office said that “Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground” during a physical altercation with one or more counter-protesters. But the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles alleged in a statement that Kessler was “struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protester.”

Local Rabbi Michael Barclay wrote in a series of posts on X — the platform formerly known as Twitter — that pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been “looking for violence, shouting profanities, and stopping cars” for the last three weekends since Hamas militants killed and kidnapped Israeli civilians, prompting Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

Still, Barclay said he is in touch with law enforcement and that they are being cautious before making accusations, as they deal with conflicting eyewitness accounts and a lack of video evidence. And he urged others to do the same and “not let this become a spark that starts an inferno.”

Both Barclay and the Jewish Federation identified Kessler as Jewish. A photo circulating on social media shows him holding an Israeli flag at the protest.

Authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or announced any arrests. The sheriff’s office says the investigation is “active and ongoing,” and plans to hold a press conference at 1 p.m. ET.

It is asking anyone with knowledge of the incident to either call the sheriff’s office or submit evidence through an anonymous tip line.

Religious groups mourn, contextualize and urge caution

Local religious groups issued statements of shock and sadness after Kessler’s death was announced late Monday.

Many stressed that the facts are incomplete, but noted that it comes amidst a rise in tensions — and antisemitic incidents — across the U.S. in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Hamas killed some 1,400 people during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel and continues to hold more than 240 people hostage; Israel’s retaliation has killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza in the month since. Many American cities have seen demonstrations in support of both sides, as well as calls for a cease-fire.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said Kessler’s death is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in L.A. this year. Among them: A man was charged with federal hate crimes after shooting at two Jewish men as they walked home from their synagogues in February.

The number of antisemitic incidents in the Los Angeles area had already been on the rise, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL): It said earlier this year that the community reported 237 such incidents in 2022, up 30% from the year before.

The organization has also reported a dramatic national increase in antisemitic incidents since Oct. 7 — at least 312 as of late last month — for an increase of 388% from the same period in 2022.

The ADL said it was “heartbroken” over Kessler’s death and called on law enforcement to launch a thorough investigation into the culprit and motivation.

Reports of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim incidents have also spiked since Oct. 7. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said it had received 774 such complaints in that same period, up from just 63 in August.

A 6-year-old Palestinian American boy was fatally stabbed — and his mother seriously injured — last month in Illinois, in an incident now being investigated as a hate crime. A 71-year-old man, who was their landlord, pleaded not guilty last week.

CAIR’s Greater Los Angeles Area office — Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization — issued a statement expressing its thoughts for Kessler’s family and solidarity with the Jewish community in “rejecting violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia or incitement of hatred.”

Executive Director Hussam Ayloush described the loss as “tragic and shocking,” and urged people to wait for the sheriff’s office to finish its investigation before drawing conclusions.

“We join local Jewish leaders in calling on all individuals to refrain from jumping to conclusions, sensationalizing such a tragedy for political gains, or spreading rumors that could unnecessarily escalate tensions that are already at an all-time high,” he wrote.