A man from Miami Beach was arrested on Sunday and faces two charges of attempted murder after allegedly shooting at a vehicle the previous day, claiming to have seen “two Palestinians” inside. However, authorities clarified that the two individuals in the car were Jewish Israelis visiting the United States. The victims, Ari Rabey and his father, initially believed they were the targets of an anti-Semitic attack.
Mordechai Brafman, 27, was apprehended and charged after he opened fire on the vehicle 17 times with a semiautomatic handgun on Shabbos. According to the police, there was no prior interaction between Brafman and the two victims before the shooting, which they deemed to be unprovoked.
The arrest report states that Brafman told authorities he “saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both” while driving his truck.
Fortunately, neither of the victims was killed. One was injured with a bullet wound to the left shoulder, while the other sustained a graze from a bullet. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for Brafman to face hate crime charges, which would elevate the seriousness of the case. Brafman, who is married, identified himself as a plumber during his arrest.
Approximately a year ago, Brafman had been interviewed by local media after an incident involving vandalism at a bagel shop on Miami Beach that displayed an Israeli flag. During that interview, Brafman expressed support for more unity and less division among people.
Following the shooting, Ari Rabey, who was injured in the shoulder, shared a post on his Facebook page detailing the attack. “Dear Jews,” he began, explaining that he and his father were in Miami at the time. “They tried to kill us for nationalistic reasons,” he wrote.
Rabey further explained that his father, who had been wearing a yarmulke, was driving when the shooting occurred. Surveillance footage that surfaced online showed the Rabeys seeking help at a nearby building, with one of the men visible with blood on his shoulder.
Later, Ari and his father spoke to local ABC 10 News, with Ari speaking in Hebrew, which was translated by his cousin. Ari recounted that Brafman had pulled up next to their car, rolled down his window, and fired at them. As they attempted to flee, Brafman continued shooting, with bullets hitting the back of their car and one round grazing his father’s ear as he drove.
At first, Ari feared that his father had been shot in the head. “God gave me my life as a gift,” he remarked. He was treated at the hospital and later discharged.
{Matzav.com}