Jewish Pro-Israel Activist Paul Kessler Dies After Confrontation with Pro-Palestinian Protester

Accident – Death – Obituary News : THOUSAND OAKS, California (JTA) — The police in Ventura County, located just outside Los Angeles, have announced that they have identified a suspect in connection with the tragic death of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish pro-Israel activist. However, no arrests have been made so far. The incident occurred on Monday during a confrontation between Kessler and a pro-Palestinian protester. The police have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime, and Sheriff James Fryhoff has stated that the case is being investigated as a homicide.

The death of Kessler has garnered significant attention as it is the first reported fatality linked to the international protests for and against Israel since the conflict with Hamas began on October 7. The attack by Hamas prompted Israel to declare war on the terrorist group. The incident took place in Thousand Oaks, a southern California suburb, where pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators had gathered near a busy intersection. Approximately 75 to 100 people were present between the two opposing groups, and the police were monitoring the scene but were not stationed there.

According to Sheriff Fryhoff, multiple individuals called 911 after Kessler fell following some kind of altercation. The police arrived at the scene within minutes and conducted interviews with witnesses. However, the witnesses provided conflicting statements about the nature of the altercation and who was the aggressor. Some witnesses were pro-Palestine, while others were pro-Israel. The exact sequence of events leading up to Kessler falling backward and hitting his head on the ground remains unclear.

A 50-year-old male, who resides in nearby Moorpark and participated as a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, has been identified as a suspect in the case. He was briefly detained on Tuesday afternoon while investigators executed a search warrant on his home. Sheriff Fryhoff emphasized the importance of obtaining any video footage from the event and urged the public to share it with the sheriff’s office. Unfortunately, a video from a nearby Shell gas station was obstructed by the gas station sign.

Kessler remained conscious and responsive during the protest and even during his initial interview with the police at a nearby hospital. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated, and he was pronounced dead shortly after 1 a.m. on Tuesday, nearly 12 hours after the incident occurred. The chief medical examiner, Dr. Christopher Young, revealed that physicians and the autopsy confirmed an injury to Kessler’s face, likely caused by being struck with a megaphone. However, it was the blow to the back of Kessler’s head that proved fatal.

Sheriff Fryhoff disclosed that the intersection where the rallies took place had previously hosted two other protests related to Israel and Gaza since October 7. Out of the 21 countywide protests held since then, this was the only one that resulted in a violent encounter. Rabbi Noah Farkas, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, attended the press conference and acknowledged the need for the investigation to continue. Farkas expressed concern about the hostile environment towards the Jewish community and emphasized the importance of vigilance while urging community members to remain calm.

Farkas also addressed the recent surge in antisemitic incidents globally, including a home invasion in Studio City, California on October 25, where the intruder allegedly shouted anti-Semitic slurs. He stressed the importance of Jews participating in pro-Israel demonstrations as a means of expressing themselves. Meanwhile, Sheriff Fryhoff explained that his department assesses the risks associated with each event before deciding whether to send officers. He acknowledged that law enforcement’s presence can sometimes lead to additional aggression and stated that in this case, there was no indication of impending violence, making the event seemingly unavoidable..