Israeli Activist Yosef Hadad Files Police Complaint After Violent Attack in Los Angeles

Yosef Hadad, an Israeli public diplomacy activist and former Golani Brigade soldier, filed an official complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department against Dennis Paitosa following a violent confrontation on Monday. The incident began during a podcast recording when Paitosa, an anti-Israel far-right influencer, verbally abused Hadad and attempted to assault him. Later, Paitosa ambushed Hadad from behind in a parking lot and physically attacked him. Hadad managed to defend himself and subdue Paitosa.

American public diplomacy influencer Nick Matteo shared footage of the parking lot altercation, stating that Paitosa had provoked Hadad by saying, "You need two people to hold me... be a man," before attempting the attack. Paitosa, who lost the June 2026 Republican primary in California's 30th district, responded to the incident by accusing Hadad of boasting about his military service and casualties in operations.

Following the attack, Hadad posted on social media, "I was attacked by a neo-Nazi in the U.S., but he didn't know he was up against a Golani soldier." The case is now under investigation by local U.S. law enforcement authorities as Hadad pursues legal action against Paitosa for the assault.