Jewish Man Dies After Being Injured During Israel-Palestine Demonstrations

A 69-year-old Jewish man died Monday after being injured during rival pro-Israeli and Palestinian demonstrations in the Westlake Village neighborhood of Thousands Oaks.

Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide and have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

The victim was identified as Paul Kessler of Thousand Oaks. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, he was attending a demonstration in support of Israel on Sunday at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard when he was involved in some kind of altercation with another protester. He then fell backward and hit his head on the ground, which caused swelling and bleeding around his brain, said Christopher Young, the chief medical examiner for Ventura County.

Kessler was bleeding, but conscious and responsive when officers arrived. He was later taken to the Los Robles Regional Medical Center in critical condition Sunday afternoon, but died from his injuries early Monday morning.

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The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said the person who may have been involved in the altercation willingly stayed at the scene and was interviewed by authorities. They were also briefly detained on Monday while authorities searched their home and car, but have not been arrested or publicly identified.

Several witnesses were also interviewed at the scene, but it’s still unclear how Kessler fell and hit his head, officials said.

“These witnesses provided conflicting statements about what the altercation and who the aggressor was,” Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said in a news conference on Tuesday. “Some of the witnesses were pro-Palestine, while others were pro-Israel.”

Kessler wasn’t alone at the demonstration. His friend, Jonathan Oswaks, described the incident at a news conference Tuesday held at the same intersection where Kessler was injured.

Oswaks said they were being harassed by a group of young men. He said Kessler was standing on one side of the street holding the Israel flag when one of the men stuck a megaphone in Oswaks ear and started shouting. Oswaks claims the man then crossed the street toward Kessler when all of a sudden a punch was allegedly thrown.

“The reason I know that I could see the punch was because it was the white megaphone flying through the air,” Oswaks said.

Oswaks saw the Israel flag on the floor, but he said he didn’t realize it was Kessler’s until after he was taken to the hospital. He was texting and calling Kessler all day on Monday, not realizing he had already died. Oswaks said he feels “broken.”

The Thousand Oaks chief of police had driven by the demonstration about 15 minutes before the altercation, according to Fryhoff. Roughly 30 people were at the intersection at the time and there was no violence. Officers had also been patrolling the area throughout the day.

Authorities are asking for the public’s help with their investigation. Anyone who was at the demonstrations or witnessed the altercation is asked to reach out to the Ventura Sheriff’s office. They’re also looking for any videos or photos of the incident because the security camera from a nearby gas station was blocked by a sign.

To submit an anonymous tip, call Crime Stoppers, or share videos and pictures with authorities here.

“We also ask that you refrain from spreading rumors or spreading misinformation on social media or other platforms, as that can not only hinder our investigation, but it can cause unnecessary panic in our community,” Fryhoff said.

The sheriff’s office will be increasing patrols around mosques, Muslim community centers, and Jewish houses of worship. Authorities are also working closely with religious leaders in the community to provide support and assistance as needed, Fryhoff said.

“I want to reiterate that safety and wellbeing of our members of our community are the utmost concern to us,” he said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that everyone, no matter your faith or religion, feels safe.”