Pro-Israel gunman in Florida shoots 2 Israelis, mistaking them for Palestinians

A Jewish man in Florida, identified as an extreme supporter of Israel, opened fire on two Israelis Saturday night, firing at least 17 rounds after stopping his car because he believed they were Palestinian.

However, the victims were actually Jewish Israeli tourists, a father and son visiting the US.

The shooting, which took place in Miami Beach, left both men hospitalised with gunshot wounds, one struck in the shoulder, the other in the forearm. The alleged shooter, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman, now faces charges of attempted murder.

According to the arrest report, while in custody, Brafman made a statement claiming, “While driving my truck, I saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both.” Authorities have confirmed that there was no prior connection between the suspect and the victims.

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The attack appears to have been unprovoked, reported the Times of Israel. Florida’s lax gun laws allow residents to carry concealed weapons without requiring training, background checks, or a permit.

According to the Department of Justice, hate crime reports in Florida surged by over 50 per cent between 2022 (161 incidents) and 2023 (249 incidents), with the sharpest rise in cases targeting individuals based on ethnicity and religion. In contrast, other populous states like California, New York and Texas saw slight declines in reported hate crimes during the same period.

In response to the shooting, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling for federal hate crime charges, emphasising the suspect’s alleged motive.

“It is the alleged shooter’s reportedly bias-motivated actions, not the actual ethnicity of the victims, that should be the determining factor for charges in this disturbing case,” said Wilfredo Amr Ruiz in a public statement.

Hate crimes can include attacks based on mistaken identity, which appears to be the case in this incident.

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