Police in Miami Beach have arrested a Jewish man who shot at two people in a car, thinking they were Palestinian.
They were actually Israeli tourists.
The man, Mordechai Brafman, 27, opened fire on the two men Saturday night, firing 17 shots. Local reports say he told police that “while he was driving his truck, he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both.”
In fact, the men survived with injuries to their shoulder and forearm, respectively, and were taken to the hospital. One reportedly exited his car with bloodstains on his shirt.
Israeli media have identified Brafman, a plumber, as Jewish. In 2023, a local TV channel identified him as a “frequent customer” of Bagel Time Cafe, a local kosher restaurant whose Israeli and American flags had been torn down.
“It’s absolutely abhorrent to see this kind of vandalism for not only showing pride for Israel, but pride for the United States,” he said at the time.
He has been charged with attempted murder and is due to appear in court on Monday.
