Pro-Palestinian Activist Arrested For Attacking Jewish Diners At California Restaurant

A man was arrested Friday in connection with the attack on Jewish diners at a restaurant in California's Beverly Grove area, authorities said.

The attack took place on May 18 just before 10 p.m. when a caravan of vehicles displaying Palestinian flags arrived outside Sushi Fumi in the 300 block of North La Cienega Boulevard.

The man, identified as Xavier Pabon, 30, of Banning, was determined to be one of the primary suspects in the beating and assault of several patrons at the restaurant, Los Angeles Police Department said as per KTLA.

Witnesses told ABC 7 that the pro-Palestinian group had been heard yelling anti-Semitic remarks at the diners. Few men then got down from the vehicles and asked the diners if any of them were Jews, the outlet reported.

A fight erupted after two men replied in the affirmative. The men began punching each other and items were thrown after a large group was formed at a sidewalk, witnesses told police.

Patrons were rushed inside the establishment and police were called to the scene to handle the situation. Police determined there were five victims involved in the incident. The attack is being investigated as a hate crime, according to ABC 7.

Police didn't clarify which weapon had been used to carry out the assault. A video obtained by KTLA showed one assailant striking the victims with a velvet rope's metal stanchion.

Bystanders provided tips to cops, thereby helping them to track Pabon down at a home outside Los Angeles. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

The attack came amid conflicts between Israeli forces and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Hamas, along with other Palestinian militant groups, launched hundreds of rockets into Israeli territory followed by months of rising tensions in Jerusalem, and Israel reacted with artillery bombardments in areas with a concentration of Hamas militants in the Gaza strip, killing 20 civilians.

The violence intensified in the following days and the total death toll rose to 250 as of Friday, with most of the deaths reported in Gaza. A ceasefire has been announced between Israel and Hamas Friday, with Israel temporarily opening a crossing into Gaza to allow for the flow of humanitarian aid in Gaza.