Jewish Man Dies After Altercation at Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations in California

A 69-year-old Jewish man and pro-Israel demonstrator died after an alleged altercation at a pro-Palestinian demonstration near Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Details: Paul Kessler fell backward and hit his head after being involved in an altercation, and was taken to a hospital where he died the next day. L.A. county officials determined the death to be a homicide and have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

For Context: According to local accounts, 100-200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators and a smaller group of pro-Israel demonstrators, have gathered at the intersection of Thousand Oaks and Westlake Boulevards in Thousand Oaks, CA each Sunday for the past three weeks. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said Kessler “was struck in the head by a megaphone wielded by a pro-Palestinian protestor.” Videos of Kessler laying on the ground and being taken away in an ambulance were widely circulated on X. 

How The Media Covered It: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) said Kessler died after a physical altercation “amid pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrations,” but did not mention a megaphone. Forward (Center bias), a self-proclaimed independent Jewish publication, said the altercation took place “at a pro-Palestinian demonstration” and that some witnesses reported the megaphone incident while others reported a non-physical verbal altercation. Fox News (Right bias) described the setting as a “pro-Israel rally,” and mentioned the Jewish Federation’s megaphone statement.