UPDATE: Jewish Man Paul Kessler (69) Dies After Assault by Muslim Immigrant Loay Alnaji (50) at Pro-Israel Rally, Still No Arrest, Witness Speaks Out (Video)

Update: 11-09-23

• Loay Alnaji is described as having “stalked” the Jewish man, Paul Kessler, before the assault.
• Jonathan Oswaks, a friend and witness, claims that Loay Alnaji, who initially approached him with a megaphone, later moved on to Kessler and struck him, causing him to fall backward and sustain serious head injuries.
• Oswaks, a Jewish-American who protested alongside Kessler, claimed the suspect “tried to bait” the elderly man.
• Oswaks stated that the suspect shouted in Kessler’s face with a megaphone and then punched him in the face with the bullhorn.
• He mentioned seeing the megaphone flying toward Kessler during the incident.

• Oswaks claimed that the suspect and other pro-Palestinian protesters had been aggressive in earlier protests, targeting and stalking them.
• He asserted that there were “plenty of altercations” between the groups of protesters on the day of the incident.
• Oswaks criticized the authorities’ response, questioning why the police didn’t collect the megaphone or the Israeli flag from the scene.
• Oswaks expressed concern about rising antisemitism, stating, “It’s open season on Jews — now someone’s dead.”
• The 50-year-old Islamic migrant from Moorpark, Loay Alnaji, was briefly detained while police executed a search warrant on Monday, but no one has been arrested or charged in connection with Kessler’s death.
• Oswaks and Kessler had previously counter-protested a pro-Palestinian demonstration on October 29, where they were pushed into the street by an aggressive protester who allegedly flashed a gun at them.
• Prior to the incident, Oswaks received a call from a friend warning him that he was being watched, and he saw three men sitting on a bench, filming them.
• A chalk artist, Elena Colomba, marked the bloodstained spot where Kessler lay with a Star of David drawn in blue chalk.

• Israeli-American Council CEO Elan Carr expressed concerns about the ongoing violence and warned that if it continues unabated, someone else might die.

New York Post/Fox News

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Update: 11-08-23

50-year-old college professor Loay Alnaji, specializing in computer science, has been identified as the Hamas supporter responsible for striking and killing Jewish protestor Paul Kessler with a megaphone during a clash between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in Thousand Oaks, California.

• Loay Alnaji, 50 years old, is a college professor.
• Loay Alnaji came to the United States in the 1990s, having previously taught in the United Arab Emirates. He bought a home in Moorpark, California, in 2007 and is married to Palestinian economics professor Nada Al Hammouri. They have three children.

• Alnaji holds a doctorate in business administration from Argosy University, which faced allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement before closing in 2019. He has posted messages supporting the Palestinian cause on his Facebook page.
• He teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California.
• Police conducted a raid on Loay Alnaji’s home in Moorpark, California.
• Loay Alnaji is described as unabashed in his support for the Palestinian cause.
• He posted a video on social media featuring an activist named Shahid King Bolsen, who compared Hamas to historical civil rights icons in the video.
• The video contains a statement by Bolsen suggesting a wait-and-see approach rather than immediate condemnation of Hamas.

• Shahid King Bolsen (a.k.a. Shannon Morris) is a 52-year-old American Catholic convert to Islam, who had a manslaughter conviction.
• Bolsen was sentenced to death in Dubai for murder, but his conviction was later reduced to manslaughter, and he was released after paying compensation to the victim’s family.
• Bolsen has been accused of inciting violence against Americans and US businesses in Egypt, although he denied these accusations.
• Rabbi Ari Averbach of Temple Etz Chaim described Paul Kessler as a private family man who wouldn’t want to be remembered as a martyr and expressed that Kessler’s family is heartbroken and in shock. Kessler was a husband and a father to two children,

Daily Mail

Here’s the man who killed Paul Kessler, walking across Westlake Boulevard with the murder weapon – about 5 minutes before using it. pic.twitter.com/cBJMNk1pyE

— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) November 8, 2023

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LOS ANGELES, CA – Tragedy struck the greater Los Angeles area as a 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, lost his life following an altercation at a pro-Israel rally. The antisemitic attack took place on Sunday in Westlake Village, near Thousand Oaks, and has prompted an investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, with the possibility of a hate crime being considered.

BREAKING: This is the last photo of Paul Kessler taken just 5 minutes before he was attacked by an anti-Israel protester yesterday afternoon. I received photos and videos from a source at the scene. pic.twitter.com/QBbLIO0lBM

— Christina Buttons (@buttonslives) November 7, 2023

The incident unfolded during simultaneous pro-Israel and pro-Hamas/Palestine demonstrations at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where tensions were already running high due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Kessler was among the participants at the pro-Israel event.

According to witnesses and reports from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, a verbal altercation escalated into a physical confrontation between Kessler and an unidentified pro-Hamas protester. During the altercation, Kessler fell backward, striking his head on the ground. Despite immediate medical attention and being rushed to a local hospital, Kessler succumbed to his injuries.

#BREAKING | Local authorities confirmed on Monday night that a Jewish man died as a result of a head injury after being attacked by a pro-Palestinian protester with a megaphone in Los Angeles just moments ago. pic.twitter.com/v4JS6BrBHS

— Breaking news 24/7 (@aliifil1) November 7, 2023

The cause of Kessler’s death was determined to be a blunt force head injury, with the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office classifying it as a homicide. The incident is believed to be isolated and not part of any larger coordinated effort.

In response to this tragic event, Sheriff James “Jim” Fryhoff announced a press conference scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. to address the recent developments and the circumstances surrounding Kessler’s death.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles issued a statement expressing their condolences for the victim and condemning the violence. The Federation labeled this incident as the fourth major antisemitic crime in Los Angeles this year alone, emphasizing that such violence has no place in a civilized society. They demanded safety for the Jewish community and pledged to do everything within their power to prevent future acts of violence.

pic.twitter.com/e9r13j1RjU

— Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (@JFedLA) November 7, 2023

Photos and videos circulated on social media, though the victim’s face was blurred, showed a man on the ground, bleeding from his head. The alleged attacker, described as a “pro-Palestinian protester,” reportedly threw a megaphone at Kessler during the altercation.

This tragic incident mirrors similar violence that has occurred at recent protests related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Just last month, Dylan Mann, a Jewish freshman at Tulane University, had his nose broken and was beaten by a pro-Hamas protester wielding a megaphone.

As the investigation into this tragic event continues, law enforcement is appealing to the public for any witnesses or individuals who may have captured footage of the incident to come forward and assist in their inquiries.