A gun owner intervened to help a Jewish family in Miami, Florida who were being harassed in an anti-Semitic incident that occurred Tuesday evening, reported Fox News. Upon leaving a synagogue in Bal Harbour, a village in Miami-Dade County, Eric Orgen, his wife and their 16-year old daughter were walking on the sidewalk when a group of men in an SUV pulled up and began screaming and throwing garbage at them. Orgen, whose family is from New Jersey, recounted the ordeal to WPEC-TV. “They just started screaming some derogatory things towards Jewish people out the window. My first thought was just making sure my wife and daughter were behind me so I could take the brunt of anything that was going to happen." Orgen said the men shouted offensive phrases such as, "Free Palestine!," "Die Jew!," “**** you Jew," and "I’m gonna rape your wife." They proceeded to throw garbage out of their SUV at the Jewish family. A passing motorist, who was carrying a gun, and who witnessed the attack, intervened on the family’s behalf. He got out of his vehicle and defended the family, chasing away the anti-Semites’ car. "The guy in the car behind them saw everything go on," Orgen told the station. "I saw him pull a gun and get in between - I mean he was almost there as our guardian angel, just protecting us. I think once they saw him they just took off." Miami-Dade Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said in a statement that “acts of hate and violence against any community are not tolerated in Miami-Dade County.” She added, “Hate and intolerance contradict the foundations of our community – a place where so many generations of people found a safe home after fleeing their own countries to build a new life with their families.” Levine Cava said that the incident was especially troubling for her as a Jew. “As a member of the Jewish community and the first Jewish Mayor of Miami-Dade, acts of anti-Semitism in our County cut especially close to home. They also deepen my commitment to ensure Miami-Dade remains a place where all people are welcomed, respected, and made to feel at home, regardless of where they come from or their faith,” she said. Bal Harbour Mayor Gabriel Groisman also issued a statement condemning the attack. “I spoke to one of the victims this morning. Bal Harbour Police Department is actively investigating the incident, and I am confident that they will track down the perpetrators,” he said. “We have zero tolerance for criminal conduct in our municipality, and we will do everything in our power to keep all residents and visitors in Bal Harbour safe.”
