On Monday, an elderly Jewish man, 65-year-old Paul Kessler, succumbed to injuries sustained at a pro-Palestinian protest over the weekend after he was hit in the head by a pro-Palestinian protester.
Despite the extensive media reports about the deadly incident, NBC News’ headline is classic Mainstream Media gaslighting. The original headline read, “Man dies after hitting head during Israel and Palestinian rallies in California, officials say.”
Keller did not just “hit his head.” He was attacked by a pro-Palestine protestor and assaulted with a megaphone.
The vicious blow caused Keller to fall to the ground where suffered an additional blow to the head, compounding his injuries.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that Kessler, “was in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s)” during which he “fell backwards and struck his head on the ground.”
The statement added that the “Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death homicide.”
Mr. Keller died from homicide, not from “hitting his head” in a passive fall.
After being called out for gaslighting their audience, NBC updated the headline to provide the context that Kessler died after an “altercation” with protesters. The updated headline reads, “Jewish man dies after hitting head in altercation at dueling pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian rallies in California.”
There is still no mention in the headline that the hit to the head came at the hands of a pro-Palestinian protestor.
At this time, NBC has also failed to note that the headline has been altered.
What is this headline, @NBCNews?
You can’t claim you didn’t have enough information because your own article cites the medical examiner calling it a homicide… pic.twitter.com/whjkgtV3bJ
— AG (@AGHamilton29) November 7, 2023
Content warning ⚠️ – an elderly Jewish man has been killed by a pro Palestinian protestor who hit him over the head with a megaphone at yesterday’s Israel rally.
Sadly, the victim has passed away from internal bleeding.
May his memory be a blessing and his attacker be… pic.twitter.com/41ZXNutwvK
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) November 7, 2023
The sheriff’s department said their investigation is continuing and the possibility of hate crime charges has not been ruled out.