Investigation Underway into Attack on Jewish Men in San Jose

The violent assault on two Jewish men outside a restaurant in San Jose, California, is being looked into as a potential anti-Semitic hate crime.

The incident, which was partially recorded on video, took place in the afternoon on Sunday. It involved three young men dressed in black T-shirts who confronted the victims after overhearing them speaking in Hebrew.

One victim was visibly seen being punched on the sidewalk during the altercation, which occurred just a week after a military action involving the U.S. and Israel against Iran.

According to police, the victims reported that the assailants used anti-Semitic slurs during the confrontation. The Assault Unit is currently investigating the matter as a possible hate crime.

Reportedly, the attack began when the three individuals approached the two Jewish men, Lior Zeevi, 47, and Daniel Levy, 48, who were waiting for a table outside the upscale Augustine restaurant on Santana Row.

In an interview, Zeevi and Levy, who are longtime friends from Haifa met through Chabad, recounted that they were conversing in Hebrew when they noticed a man approaching them with an unusual expression. Levy asked, “Do we know each other?”

Zeevi recounted, “By the time I turned around to see who I was talking to, it was too late. They started beating. It was brutal.”

Levy mentioned that he temporarily lost consciousness after receiving a blow to the head but believed he was struck several times. Both reported swelling on their heads and faces, with Levy’s lip split and Zeevi’s shirt torn.

Zeevi stated that he heard one of the assailants shout, “fuckin’ Jew” during the beating.

The attackers fled the scene as bystanders called for them to stop. As of Wednesday, no arrests had been made.

This isn’t the first incidence for Zeevi, who runs an HVAC company in San Jose. Last summer, multiple vehicles at his workplace were vandalized and spray-painted with “KKK” and swastikas.

The disturbing event prompted comments from San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, who labeled it “very disturbing.” He asserted that anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred have no place in the city and assured that he would monitor the ongoing investigation.