A 69-year-old Jewish man died after a blunt-force head damage following an altercation at an Israel-Hamas war protest in California, Ventura County officers and local organizations stated Monday.
The dying adopted a war of words with a counter-protester as simultaneous pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held at the similar location over the weekend, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office stated.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office stated it made up our minds Paul Kessler’s dying was once a murder. Authorities have now not dominated out the likelihood the incident was once a hate crime, officers stated Monday. Kessler was once Jewish, in line with two faith-based organizations in Los Angeles.
On Sunday afternoon in Thousand Oaks, California, more than one other people known as the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center to record an incident of battery at the nook of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, government stated. The intersection was once the place pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been going down.
Authorities arriving at the scene situated Kessler and famous he was once affected by a head damage, the sheriff’s workplace stated.
Witnesses instructed deputies that Kessler was once concerned in a bodily altercation with a counter-protester or protesters, officers stated Monday night time. Kessler fell backward all through the altercation, government stated, hitting his head at the flooring.
He was once transported to a local clinic for what government stated was once “advanced medical treatment,” however he died from his accidents Monday, officers stated.
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles stated in a Monday commentary that it was once “devastated to learn of the tragic death of an elderly Jewish man.”
“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,” the federation stated.
Executive Director Hussam Ayloush of the Greater LA workplace of the Council on American-Islamic Relations additionally issued a commentary following the news of the man’s dying.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic and shocking loss. 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 stated.
The public must wait till the sheriff’s workplace completes its investigation sooner than “drawing any conclusions,” he stated.
“While we strongly support the right of political debate, CAIR-LA and the Muslim community stand with the Jewish community in rejecting any and all violence, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or incitement of hatred,” he added.
-ABC News’ Marily Heck contributed to this tale
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