The surge in antisemitic rhetoric that has accompanied the intensification of hostilities in the Middle East in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has also been followed by increased incidents of anti-Jewish harassment and violence. Now, someone is dead: Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish resident of Thousand Oaks, California, died from a head injury after a confrontation between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests on Sunday. The death is being investigated as a homicide and even a possible hate crime.
The alarm and outrage across America are more than understandable. This is a moment when, regardless of one’s views of Israel and Gaza, all decent people must stand up against what is often called the world’s oldest hatred. But the urgency of the situation makes it all the more important to be careful about the facts and not to let rightful alarm turn into fearmongering.
Kessler’s death is one example of the importance of facts. The first reports to appear in the social media Monday night said that he was “bludgeoned to death” with a megaphone by an anti-Israel protester; many accused the media of refusing to cover the story, even though reports about it quickly appeared in major media outlets. As of this moment, however, the details of the story remain unclear, except for the fact that Kessler fell backward and hit his head, with fatal results. Eyewitness accounts apparently conflict, with some saying that he was either punched or struck with a megaphone, some that he was pushed or fell during a scuffle. So far, the 50-year-old man who allegedly hit or pushed him has not been arrested.
No matter what facts emerge, this tragedy shows the danger of escalating tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict. But we simply don’t know at this point whether Kessler was maliciously attacked because he was Jewish or pushed amid flaring tempers between dueling protests. The suspect may eventually be charged with manslaughter or even murder — or may not be charged at all.
Other, thankfully less-extreme incidents have also generated confusing reports and hyperbole. A video shot at Harvard showing a man being apparently mobbed by protesters chanting “Shame!” was circulated as evidence of antisemitic harassment against a Jewish student. In fact, it was related to a confrontation at a pro-Palestinian “die-in” at which the student walked around taking photos of protesters lying on the ground; other protesters tried to block his camera and steer him away. They may still have committed battery, and it’s not clear whether they would be legally allowed to block photography. However, confrontations over picture-taking or filming at protests are nothing new, and this is hardly the same as random harassment of Jewish students.
Unfortunately, there has been no shortage of anti-Jewish hate incidents recently, from harassment and assault to vandalism against homes, synagogues, and businesses. Such acts must be unequivocally condemned and prosecuted where possible.
But while concern is amply warranted, accuracy matters. With emotions running high, people who have questioned accounts of alleged hate crimes or urged caution in social media polemics have sometimes been accused of minimizing bigotry or covering for haters. Some claim that the failure to arrest the suspect in Kessler’s death reflects anti-Jewish prejudice.
Taking antisemitism seriously — including progressive antisemitism posing as anti-Zionism — is important. But panic helps no one, and waiting for the facts before pronouncing judgment is always a good idea.
Opinions expressed by Cathy Young, a writer for The Bulwark, are her own.
Cathy Young is a writer for The Bulwark.
Charges of antisemitism require facts
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10.11.2023
The surge in antisemitic rhetoric that has accompanied the intensification of hostilities in the Middle East in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 has also been followed by increased incidents of anti-Jewish harassment and violence. Now, someone is dead: Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish resident of Thousand Oaks, California, died from a head injury after a confrontation between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protests on Sunday. The death is being investigated as a homicide and even a possible hate crime.
The alarm and outrage across America are more than understandable. This is a moment when, regardless of one’s views of Israel and Gaza, all decent people must stand up against what is often called the world’s oldest hatred. But the urgency of the situation makes it all the more important to be careful about the facts and not to let rightful alarm turn into fearmongering.
Kessler’s death is one........
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