A visibly Jewish man was assaulted in an antisemitic incident in Northwest Washington DC on Wednesday, according to US media reports.
The victim, Ariel Golfeyz, 31, looked visibly Jewish, wearing a kippah, when he was attacked by the perpetrator, Walter James 39, who punched Golfeyz repeatedly and injured his jaw, according to the Washington Post.
“I felt very vulnerable,” Golfeyz said Friday. “I don’t feel safe anymore walking around with my Jewish, religious objects in DC.”
ADL regional director Meredith Weisel responded to the attack calling it an “hateful antisemitic assault” which unfortunately confirmed ADL’s data regarding the escalation of anti-Jewish hatred in America.
Read our statement from Regional Director @mermirmanweisel about the recent antisemitic assault in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.https://t.co/UeaNXwzGTM pic.twitter.com/b0xG3ArnLC
— ADL Washington, D.C. (@ADL_WashDC) July 11, 2024
On Wednesday, at 8:30 in the morning, Golfeyz was returning home from his work as a cyber security manager. Golfeyz told the Post he saw a fist out of the corner of his eye and then heard the sound of his own jaw cracking.
He then fell into a patch of weeds and tried to fight his attacker while being repeatedly punched in the face before a police officer at the nearby hospital intervened.
“After punching me, he jumps on me and starts kicking and punching me, and at that point, it was just fight or flight,” Golfeyz said in an interview with The Algemeiner.
“I just couldn’t get him off of me because he continued kicking and punching,” Golfeyz continued. “I was in mortal physical danger.” He estimated the attack lasted about two minutes.
Talking to The Algemeiner, Golfeyz described his attacker as a medium-height black male of slight build with a beard and said that before the incident, he had been walking behind him for a while.
Golfeyz recounted to The Algemeiner that he ultimately turned to bite James’s neck as a last resort, which enabled him to break free.
Walter James had previously been charged with resisting arrest and assault of a police officer in separate incidents.
The Texas resident is now up against charges of assault with significant bodily injury.
Golfeyz suffered facial contusions, according to The Post, alongside major swelling and severe jaw pain which stops him from chewing.
“I felt very vulnerable,” Golfeyz said Friday. “I don’t feel safe anymore walking around with my Jewish, religious objects in DC.”
According to a police affidavit, Golfeyz later relayed to the police that James had said, while punching him, “You are not the real Jewish, and you guys are murderers; you guys kill people in Gaza and in America.”
Even after he had been physically reprimanded by the on-site police officer, James continued his antisemitic tirade, said the Post, citing Golfeyz, including accusing the victim of “controlling land, money and government” and blaming him for “murdering” men, women and children in Gaza.
In footage shared with The Algemeiner, James also mentioned being one of the “true children of Israel”, potentially referencing the Black Hebrew Israelite ideology, which suggests that Black people descend from the true Israelites, and Jews are not the real descendants.
In a similar incident on Saturday, an orthodox Jewish man in New York was followed by a man saying, “Black people is the real Jews,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
Walter James verbally attacks Jewish man in DC (The Algemeiner via Ariel Golfeyz)
“It’s turned very quickly into a very hateful time. I’ve never seen it in my life,” said Golfeyz. “I feel like it’s just getting to a point where it’s not about Israel, it’s about the Jewish people as well.”
Golfeyz was born to Iranian Jewish parents in the US and grew up Orthodox. As an adult, he still adheres to an Orthodox lifestyle and wears a kippah. He is a frequent member of the local Sephardic minyan.
After the incident, Golfeyz said he messaged his minyan group chat and told them to no longer wear their kippot outside in public, for fear of them suffering similar attacks.
“I don’t think I will be, you know, wearing my religious objects anymore in Washington, DC,” stated Golfeyz in an interview with Fox 5.
The 2026 USU Summer Meeting is a premier convening for presidents and chancellors of public, urban-serving research institutions who are often at the forefront of innovation within higher education. This meeting will be hosted in downtown Washington, DC on June 16, 2026, from 12:00 – 4:45 pm, in association with APLU’s Council of Presidents summer convening.
Please direct any questions to usucoalition@aplu.org.
Dechert Law have boosted their Washington DC practice with the addition of three former White & Case lawyers with significant litigation experience in everything from government contracts to sports law.
The firm’s media statement making the announcement is below –
Dechert LLP continues to build on the momentum of its expanding litigation practice with the additions of Tara Lee, Scott Lerner and Melissa Taylormoore (pictured above). Their arrival bolsters the firm’s trial bench and significantly enhances the sports and gaming and government contracts practices. All three will be based in Dechert’s Washington, D.C. office and will be partners in the firm’s enforcement and investigations group.
“This year has been a defining one for Dechert’s growth, and the arrival of Tara, Scott and Melissa exemplifies our commitment to expanding our teams in service of our clients’ businesses,” said Dave Forti, co-chair of Dechert. “As we continue to welcome exceptional talent across our steeples of excellence, from investment management to litigation, additions like these are what elevate our platform to the next level.”
The three partners join Dechert from an international law firm, where Ms. Lee headed the trials practice, Mr. Lerner headed the U.S. sports and gaming practice and Ms. Taylormoore was the global head of the U.S. government contracts practice and co-chair of the defense working group.
“Joining Dechert has coincided with a period of growth for the firm, spanning both new geographies and sectors of the market. The firm has recently opened three new offices and complemented existing strengths while expanding its offerings. The arrivals of Tara, Scott and Melissa further deepen our government contracts and sports and gaming capabilities,” said Mike Poulos, vice chair and global head of strategy. “Tara’s arrival is especially meaningful to me, as she and I served together in leadership at a prior firm, and I am glad to be reunited with her at Dechert.”
Ms. Lee has a broad practice spanning complex commercial litigation, wrongful death and mass tort matters, arbitration enforcement, and corporate investigations. She has represented multinational companies, sovereign nations, public and private companies, funds and individuals across a broad range of industries. In 2017, Ms. Lee was named U.S. Trial Lawyer of the Year and is consistently ranked among leading litigation lawyers by Chambers USA. She has been recognized as a Pioneer and Trailblazer in Litigation by the National Law Journal, as one of the Ten Most Innovative Lawyers in the United States by the Financial Times and as one of the top investigations lawyers by Global Investigations Review. Prior to her legal career, she served as an officer in the United States Navy and was named the ATLA Outstanding Military Trial Lawyer while serving in the Navy JAG Corps.
“I am delighted to join Dechert alongside Scott and Melissa,” said Ms. Lee. “The firm’s commitment to this space, the quality of its people, and the strength of its client base made this a compelling opportunity, and we look forward to working on the most complex and consequential matters for clients.”
Mr. Lerner is a trial lawyer with significant experience in sports- and gaming-related disputes and a focus on complex commercial litigation, class actions, investigations and corporate crises. He regularly advises clients across the sports and gaming industries, including professional athletes and coaches, sports franchises, team owners, event organizers, sports charities, unions and online sports betting companies.
Ms. Taylormoore brings more than two decades of experience advising clients on government contracting and regulatory matters involving federal, state and local governments, including matters involving national security, defense, aerospace and dual-use technologies. She leads sensitive internal and cross-border investigations and advises boards and executive teams on governance, remediation and crisis response.
Ms. Lee, Mr. Lerner and Ms. Taylormoore are among more than 35 lateral partners Dechert has welcomed this year, reflecting the firm’s strategic goal of strengthening capabilities across its steeples of excellence in litigation, investment management, finance and restructuring, capital markets and securitization and mergers and acquisitions.
Dechert litigators win some of the largest and most complex, domestic and multijurisdictional disputes in the world. The firm’s global litigation practice is comprised of more than 350 lawyers across multiple offices, combining the knowledge and capabilities of former law clerks and government officials, experienced litigators and homegrown talent.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 18: Zac Brown Band perform onstage during the Uber One Rodeo on October 18, 2025 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Uber)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The heavyweight headliner for the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest this summer has officially been announced.
What we know:
Zac Brown Band will take the stage at The Ellipse, which is just south of the White House, on Saturday, June 13, at 9:30 p.m.
The free event will also include live shows with UFC athletes, celebrity appearances, meet-&-greets, immersive fan experiences and the UFC Freedom 250 Ceremonial Weigh-in. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m.
On Sunday, fans will gather once again at The Ellipse for a watch party as a series of fights take place in the Octagon on the South Lawn.
What you can do:
Tickets for UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest are available on Tuesday, April 21. However, fans can register for early access until Thursday, and will receive a link on Friday.
Dig deeper:
President Donald Trump is set to oversee the event as part of festivities marking the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.
The fight card for the landmark event was revealed last month, with lightweight champions Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje announced as the main event for a title unification bout.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by UFC.
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