A Florida man, Mordechai Brafman, aged 27, faces arraignment on two felony charges of attempted murder after allegedly shooting two men he mistakenly identified as “Palestinian.” Miami Beach police reported that the victims, who are tourists from Israel, were injured when Brafman fired 17 shots into their vehicle. According to a police affidavit, Brafman claimed during his arrest that he had seen two Palestinians and shot at them.
The shooting incident occurs amid heightened tensions linked to regional conflicts and a recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Both victims managed to survive; one sustained a gunshot to the shoulder while the other was grazed on the arm. Civil rights group CAIR-Florida has called for hate crime charges against Brafman, citing his alleged bias against Palestinians as a motive for the attack. Surveillance footage captured the victims frantically seeking help after the shooting.
One victim, Ari Revay, recalled the traumatic event, stating that the gunfire felt random and expressing gratitude for their survival. The situation remains a point of concern as anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric rises in the wake of ongoing hostilities, with CAIR documenting a surge in hate-related complaints since October 2023.