The Jewish man who died Monday following an alleged clash between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters in California was hit on the mouth with a megaphone before his fatal fall, a rabbi who had spoken with direct witnesses to the incident claimed.
“The man hit Paul in the face with a megaphone. That 100% happened.
“He hit him right in the mouth and he went down,” Rabbi Mark Blazer claimed to The Post Tuesday, detailing the moments before Paul Kessler, 69, fell backwards and sustained serious head injuries Sunday afternoon.
Kessler was holding an Israeli flag and standing with other protestors when two pro-Palestinian supporters crossed the street in Thousands Oaks and “got in the faces” of the pro-Israel faction, Blazer claimed.
“Paul was still conscious when he went down. At first he thought he lost some of his teeth because he was hit so hard in the mouth, but once he went down, he hit his head on the pavement,” the rabbi added of the alleged confrontation.
“The fall caused [Paul] to die,” after he had been hospitalized, he said.
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Kessler – who had lived in Thousand Oaks with his wife, Cheryl, for about 20 years –was transported to hospital, where he died early Monday from skull fractures, brain swelling and bruising, officials said at a press conference Tuesday.
He also had injuries to his face that “could be consistent with a blow,” but the circ*mstances are still unclear and under review, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Young explained.
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The suspect – who has not been named publicly – cooperated at the scene and was part of the group that called 911 for Kessler after he fell, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff noted.
The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
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Though authorities have not ruled out the possibility Kessler’s death was the result of a hate crime, no one has been arrested or charged thus far, Fryhoff added.
Blazer told The Post he was not sure what words, if any, were exchanged between Kessler and the suspect before the alleged altercation.
“There was no sense that it would escalate to what happened. Paul showed up along with other members of the Jewish community to just show solidarity with Israel,” the rabbi insisted.
“He did not go [to the protest] expecting to get into any type of physical confrontation. He’s a man who is 69 years old and he should be entering a stage of his life when he is enjoying retirement and living life on his terms, but instead he was killed.
“And what happened to him is happening to members of the Jewish community who show solidarity with Israel.”
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Residents in Kessler’s Thousand Oaks neighborhood were similarly horrified by what happened.
“They are great neighbors and all of us are just devastated for the family,” said one neighbor who didn’t want their name used.
Another neighbor told The Post how Kessler, a retired pilot, always said hello when he was doing chores around the home –and was also never one to back down from a fight.
The home that Kessler lived in with his wife is just a few yards from a school, and parents sometimes clogged the typically quiet block.
Once, the neighbor said they saw Kessler screaming with a parent who parked in his driveway.
“It was a big argument and there were some harsh words exchanged,” another neighbor said.
“That definitely left a big impression on us because usually he is very quiet and friendly, but he will definitely speak his mind and won’t back down from a fight.”
Before the ambulance arrived on Sunday afternoon, Kessler was lying on the ground while several bystanders –including a woman in a “Free Palestine” jacket – spoke with him and tried to make him more comfortable while they waited for help, videos and photos of the aftermath showed.
Videos by Jewish Life Television which were shared with The Post show the aftermath of Kessler falling to the ground, with him holding onto the back of his head as blood begins to flow from the wound.
As Kessler was wheeled into an ambulance, a pro-Palestine protestor with a bullhorn continued to shout “Stop killing our children now.”
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Kessler remained conscious for a few hours after the incident before his condition deteriorated, officials said at the Tuesday presser.
The doorframe of Kessler’s home is adorned with a mezuzah, a small case inscribed with specific Torah verses that practicing Jews traditionally attach to the right side of their doors.
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Family friend Justin Cohen told The Post Monday night the 69-year-old was proud of his Jewish heritage.
“He was not a closet Zionist — he wore it like a badge of honor,” Cohen said.
“He was a proud Jew and proud Israel supporter.”
Rabbi Michael Barclay of the Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake who knew Kessler told The Post the same pro-Palestine people have been gathering on the same corner every Sunday for the past three weeks and he had warned his congregation about interacting with them.
“They have people out there being real jerks, interrupting people, making real threats and saying profanity,” Barclay said.
“These people who are doing demonstrations have no idea what they’re talking about, and are just being used.These people are unaware of what they’re even chanting for … that’s why I have suggested to the congregation that you’re not going to change their mind.Don’t even be in the area because they’re looking to have fights.”
Kessler’s death comes amid a troubling spike in antisemitic violence in the four weeks since Hamas invaded southern Israel, sparking an all-out war in the tense region.
Over the weekend, a knife-wielding woman was arrested in New York after she was allegedly caught tearing down fliers of kidnapped Israelis and even pepper spraying a Jewish safety volunteer.
