Last weekend, a violent altercation broke out in San Jose, where several individuals were filmed attacking two Jewish men and nailing one of them to the sidewalk. According to local police reports, officers are currently investigating the matter as a potential anti-Semitic hate crime.
A verbal altercation quickly turned physical, resulting in three attackers targeting two victims. The attack, which is being reviewed for hate crime indicators, reportedly included the use of anti-Semitic slurs, ABC7NEWS reported.
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The confrontation took place on Sunday afternoon in the popular Santana Row shopping district. The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) said the incident began as a heated exchange of words that reportedly escalated to include targeted religious slurs and physical violence.
Here is the sequence of events
Authorities say the fight started when three men approached the two victims, who were later treated for minor injuries.
“The victims alleged that the suspects used anti-Semitic language during the altercation,” police said.
“The incident is currently being investigated by the Assault Squad as a possible hate crime,” they added.
Part of the attack, which took place on an outdoor patio, was caught on video. The video shows the young suspect repeatedly punching the man to the ground while the victim’s accomplice held the victim’s leg to prevent him from fleeing.
Before the group fled, witnesses could be heard shouting in the background: “Stop!
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“Each punch connected right where they wanted, right in the head. It was intentional to hit and cause maximum damage,” ABC7NEWS quoted one of the two victims as saying.
“One of the witnesses said they heard them say, ‘don’t mess around Iran“which we don’t know why,” ABC7NEWS quoted the other man. “We don’t have a problem with them. But at the beginning of the fight I heard something with:” Jews‘.”
The suspects managed to leave the area before police arrived. Paramedics at the scene evaluated both victims for minor injuries.
According to a report from the X account @TheJewishAlly, the men were targeted after they were overheard speaking Hebrew.
Police confirmed that the investigation into the case remains active.
Politicians condemn ‘deeply disturbing incident’
Several local representatives issued statements on the attack.
Congressman Ro Khanna said, “The attack on Israeli-Americans in San Jose while speaking Hebrew is horrific.”
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“This kind of anti-Semitism has no place in our community. I unequivocally condemn these attacks. The attackers must be held accountable and prosecuted,” Khanna added.
“I have been in contact with our police department and local Jewish community leaders regarding this deeply troubling incident and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.
