Dozens of Jewish and Israeli residents of Los Angeles gathered Tuesday for an impromptu memorial rally at the site of the murder of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish protester who was attacked by a pro-Hamas protester during a protest in the city's West Lake neighborhood.
The demonstrators gathered and sang songs in Hebrew in memory of Kessler, waving Israeli and American flags. Local media arrived at the scene and the incident was documented. No pro-Palestinian demonstrators were seen at the scene.
The Israeli political system responded to the murder and attacked the organizations that enable the violence. Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted: "Paul Kessler was murdered in Los Angeles because he is Jewish. It's not because of Eze but because of anti-Semitism. This is what happens when demonstrators praise Hamas and call for a global intifada.' They don't like Palestine, they hate Jews."
The scene of the murder of Jewish demonstrator Paul Kessler
Paul Kessler, 65, participated in a pro-Israel protest in the city's West Lake Village neighborhood while waving an Israeli flag. In response, a masked man with a megaphone approached him and hit his head hard until Kessler fell to the ground. A video circulating online shows Kessler lying on the floor holding his head after the attack. He was later taken to hospital with a serious head injury and authorities pronounced him dead. Local police are working to find the attacker.
The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles said following the incident: "Our hearts are with the victim's family. This is the fourth major antisemitic incident committed in Los Angeles in the past year alone. We demand security and we will no longer tolerate continued violence against the Jewish community. We will do everything we can to prevent it."
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