Florida police arrested a 27-year-old Jewish man, Mordechai Brafman, on suspicion of attempting to murder two men he believed were Palestinian. The victims were an Israeli father and son visiting from Israel.

According to investigators, Brafman overtook their car in Miami Beach, made a U-turn, exited his vehicle and fired 17 shots at them. Local authorities said Brafman didn’t know the victims and there was no prior confrontation between the sides.

Brafman drove home after the shooting and was arrested shortly after. He is charged with attempted murder. While police have not officially determined a motive, they said: “It should be noted that, while in custody in our interview room, the defendant spontaneously stated that while he was driving his truck, he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both. The victims and the defendant do not know each other,” Police added that he told investigators he had killed them.

Brafman, a married plumber, was interviewed last year by Florida media after vandals targeted a Miami Beach bagel shop displaying an Israeli flag. “It’s just horrifying,” he said at the time. “I’d like to see more unity, for people to fight less with each other and be more together.”

  • FauxLiving@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    This is the key part that makes it The Onion material:

    From, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/17/miami-shooting-israeli-men

    …one of the injured men reportedly posted “death to the Arabs” in a message on social media after the shooting. “My father and I went through a murder attempt against antisemitic background,” he wrote.

    Jewish man shoots at Israelis because he thought that they were Palestinians. Israeli victims claimed that they were victims of an “antisemitic” attack and post “death to the Arabs”.

    The deeper irony is that these men were the victims of an antisemitic attack. They were targeted because they were thought to be Palestinians who are also a Semitic people and yet they seem to share the same prejudice as their attacker.

  • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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    3 days ago

    “Sorry guys, I thought they were Palestinian!”

    Didn’t realize that’s a valid excuse to do a murder these days

      • Aqarius@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Apparently, one of the guys shot concluded his statement about being shot with “death to Arabs” or something to that effect, so they might just accept that excuse.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      Well tbf that depends on your definition of “valid excuse.” He’s probably not getting acquitted with this defense, and even if he does that only means it worked to convince those twelve dingleberries on his jury, not that it’ll work every time.

  • QuantumSparkles@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    The fact that they went with neither “Florida man” or “Jewish Man” but instead “Florida Jew” is just hysterical for better or for worse

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    4 days ago

    I would say typical zionist, but we don’t have evidence that the American government paid for his weapon and ammo

  • Magnus@lemmy.ml
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    3 days ago

    I wonder if he’ll be tried as a terrorist. I feel like any other violent ideological act like this would be.

      • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 days ago

        I think they may have said that because the state of Florida sought terrorism charges when a lady told a healthcare member they’d be next after the Luigi thing.

        Which also seems like it’d fall more under hate, but hard to say.

        • purplemeowanon@lemmy.ml
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          I think they may have said that because the state of Florida sought terrorism charges when a lady told a healthcare member they’d be next after the Luigi thing.

          That wouldn’t fall under the purview of hate-crime law I.M.O (disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer) because neither the intended nor the actual target was targeted on the basis of an identity category (ethnicity, gender, creed, race, religion, nationality). Not unless you include occupation as an identity. I don’t.

          • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            1 day ago

            Yeah that makes sense, but I’d also not call a death threat terrorism if aimed at one person denying your health coverage. If a death threat is terrorism, then every assault / murder would have to be I’d think

            • purplemeowanon@lemmy.ml
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              5 hours ago

              Yeah and it wasn’t a super clear death threat. Definitely rude but I think terrorism is a clearly excessive charge. I don’t think it’s right to target individuals, especially lower level ones when it’s the corporate “entity” as a whole, especially the higher-ups at fault.

              • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                4 hours ago

                Yeah, what they did was wrong. That said, it was a phone call, and “you people are next” is what I found when I looked it back up. Meaning it’s not like the individual on the other end of the phone was likely even in the same city, county, state? As the lady who threatened them. Stupid move but I feel I could hear worse at the local gas station every Friday night and they aren’t denying people health coverage, just wanting them to pay full price for a slurpee

        • Magnus@lemmy.ml
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          3 days ago

          Oh was that in Florida? So much weird shit happening all the time I loose track

      • Magnus@lemmy.ml
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        Idk I feel like if this had been a Muslim guy the charge would be very different but I’m no lawyer so maybe you’re right, either way it’s a fucked up story.

      • Madison420@lemmy.world
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        Those are both generally enhancements/reclassifications to a charge not charges in and of themselves. In Florida it’s “775.085 Evidencing prejudice while committing offense; reclassification.—”.

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    He fired 17 times and it’s still just an injury? Oof.

    Also someone needs to figure out if there’s something in Floridian drinking water.

    • dnick@sh.itjust.works
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      Supposedly it not necessarily a Florida thing to be particularly crazy, just that there are fewer protections against reporting and publishing people’s names in Florida.

      It’s like the US version of ‘boy, there doesn’t seem to be much rape in this country where it’s illegal for women to accuse men of rape, but there is a lot of it in the country next to it where it isn’t illegal for women to file police reports. Making it illegal to report rape must significantly decrease it!’

    • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      4 days ago

      As a Jewish person living in Occupied Palestine im absolutely oppressed and so are many others like me. The so called “only free nation in the middle east” regurally censors journalists, beats up Parliament members who dare speak out, and has a culture where critiquing the IOF or the genocide results in social condemnation.

      • Pollo_Jack@lemmy.world
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        Wait, your neighbors are pissed at you because you kicked out their old neighbors and they could be next but youre oppressed?

        • YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world
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          You know its possible for both to be true yes? Authoritarian regimes aren’t usually lots of fun, and not just for the most subjugated groups.

        • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          Im 18 and haven’t entered the IOF, I havent done anything -_-

          Also yes obviously they’re pissed that my government is a genocidal ethnostate

          • Dreamer@lemmy.ml
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            3 days ago
            spoiler

            For holding these values and intentions, especially in the face of such overwhelming pressure, you are kindred.

          • shaserlark@sh.itjust.works
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            Not living in Germany but I know Berlin well which you have probably considered if you’re considering Germany. The country has a lot of problems too but counterculture in Berlin at least is still strong. Can be a very rough place to arrive to tho, especially if you don’t have friends there who can help you warm up with the country/city. In case you need a starting point for some communities to connect with or just general info, please let me know!

          • Lasthole@lemm.ee
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            You should try moving to the middle eastern nations around you

  • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 days ago

    Is that his mugshot? The fuck is he smiling for?

    Edit: I didn’t realize it was taken before he learned the outcome of his actions. What a fucking loser.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
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      In his mind he just murdered two people he considers inferior and wants to genocide.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        In his statement to the police, exactly this.

        He had not yet learned the facts that:

        1. They survived

        2. They’re (non-Palestinian) Israelis

  • RangerJosey@lemmy.ml
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    Dude musta forgot he’s not in the pedo colony. You can’t just murder people cuz you think they’re indigenous here.

    $3.50 says Israel whisks him back to the Colony to keep him out of jail.