VIDEO. “He was a very proud Jew”: tributes after the death of a pro-Israel protester in the United States

2023-11-08 18:10:24

Emotion in the United States, after the death of a Jewish man who fell during an altercation between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators near Los Angeles, California. An investigation was opened “for homicide,” explained Jim Fryhoff, sheriff of Ventura County, without excluding a possible anti-Semitic motive and specifying that he had briefly arrested and then released a pro-Palestinian demonstrator. But “the suspect was not arrested. No arrests have been made in connection with this incident,” he added.

The 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, died of a head injury on Monday, after taking part in a pro-Israel demonstration on Sunday, at an intersection where a pro-Palestinian rally was also taking place, in the city of Thousand Oaks, northwest of Los Angeles. A confrontation took place between the two groups, which numbered between “75 and 100 people” between them, according to the sheriff. During this altercation, Mr. Kessler fell backwards and hit his head on the ground, according to the first elements of the investigation. When police arrived, “he was bleeding from his head and mouth.”

“What happened before Mr. Kessler fell backwards is unclear at this time,” the sheriff insisted. According to him, several witnesses at the scene provided “conflicting statements on the nature of the altercation and the identity of the attacker.” Just after the demonstration, a pro-Palestinian suspect was questioned by officers. “Cooperative”, this 50-year-old man admitted to having been involved in the altercation and himself called emergency services for Paul Kessler, says the sheriff.

According to the first results of the autopsy, Paul Kessler’s death was due to the injury caused by the impact of his head against the ground. The sixty-year-old also had a non-lethal wound on the left side of his face. “We urge you to remain calm, peaceful and patient,” added the sheriff, adding that he had reinforced patrols around mosques and synagogues.

The death of Mr. Kessler is “a hard blow to our region at a time when tensions continue to rise around the world,” responded Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday. “As details emerge and are confirmed, we strongly condemn the violence and anti-Semitism,” she added.