What was supposed to be a debate between pro- and anti-Israel views turned physical when Arab-Israeli advocacy activist Yoseph Haddad was allegedly attacked by his antisemitic opponent.
Haddad had arrived at the studio in the US to partake in a debate against a group of anti-Israel activists, with the person debating him constantly changing.
At one point, Groyper YouTuber Dennis Feitosa, known as "Def Noodles," sat down to debate Haddad. Per the Israeli activist's account of the events, even in the studio, he started cursing and turning the argument into a physical confrontation. Haddad's fiancée, pro-Israel activist Emily Schrader, added that Feitosa became incredibly frustrated when Yoseph refused to engage physically and said, repeatedly, “I have no interest in fighting you, why would I?"
One clip shows the antisemitic social media star grabbing Haddad's arm. In turn, Haddad pulled Feitosa across the table, freeing himself from his clutches.
The confrontation later moved to the parking lot outside the studio, where it escalated even more. Footage from the incident shows one of the anti-Israel activists harassing Haddad's fiancée, while Feitosa is being held back from assaulting Haddad.
At one point, Haddad turned his back on Feitosa to film a video. The Groyper YouTuber then broke loose and rushed the Israeli from behind. Haddad, a veteran of the Golani Brigade, did not run away after being attacked and managed to land a few punches on Feitosa before the two were separated. The two sides continued to spar verbally before Haddad and his entourage left.
"This isn’t anything new," Haddad wrote after the incident. "When they can’t win a verbal debate, they turn to physical confrontation...which they lose as well!"