An elderly Jewish man died from head injuries sustained in a confrontation with a pro-Palestinian protester in the Los Angeles area, an incident under investigation as a possible hate crime.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that 69-year-old Paul Kessler died Monday as a result of a blunt force head injury sustained the previous day at dueling protests between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the Westlake Village neighborhood of Thousand Oaks.
“The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime,” said the department in a Monday press release.
Video posted by Stop Antisemitism showed a man identified as the victim lying on the sidewalk and clutching his head.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said he was struck in the head with a megaphone by a counterprotester, but the sheriff’s office said he hit his head in a fall during a confrontation.
“Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s),” said the department. “During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground. Kessler was transported to an area hospital for advanced medical treatment. On November 6, 2023, Kessler succumbed to his injuries.”
The statement continued: “An autopsy was performed on November 6th and the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury, and the manner of death [to be] homicide.”
The sheriff’s office asked for anyone with information about the incident to call 805/384-4745.
Content warning ⚠️ - an elderly Jewish man has been killed by a pro Palestinian protestor who hit him over the head with a megaphone at yesterday’s Israel rally.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 7, 2023
Sadly, the victim has passed away from internal bleeding.
May his memory be a blessing and his attacker be… pic.twitter.com/41ZXNutwvK
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff has scheduled a press conference on the incident for 10 a.m. PST Tuesday at the Ventura Sheriff’s East County Station.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have roiled universities and major U.S. cities since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians, often spurring pro-Israel counter-protests.
Mr. Kessler is believed to be the first person killed during such events.
The Anti-Defamation League reported that threats and attacks on Jewish people have surged by nearly 400% since the attack, which resulted in Israel declaring war on Hamas.
“Our hearts are with the family of the victim,” the Jewish federation wrote on Instagram. “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 civilized society. We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it.”
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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