California: Death of Jewish man at anti-Israel rally was a “homicide,” Medical Examiner says

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The death of an older Jewish man following an altercation with anti-Israel demonstrators at a rally in California on Sunday was the result of a homicide, the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined. Paul Kessler, 69, died in hospital on Monday, after succumbing to injuries sustained at the rally in Thousand Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles, Algemeiner reports.

As of Monday, no arrests had been made, although the Sheriff’s department said it has “not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.”

“Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protester(s),” the Sheriff’s Department said in a press release. “During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground. Kessler was transported to an area hospital for advanced medical treatment.”

In a separate statment, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said a “pro-Palestinian protester” hit Kessler on the head with a megaphone. The Los Angeles Times issued a similar report.

“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,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said in its statement.

“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.”

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