A California college professor who defended Hamas was arrested Thursday as a suspect in the murder of Paul Kessler, who tragically died earlier this month after being severely injured by what witnesses say was the result of an assault from Loay Alnaji during a verbal altercation.
Alnaji, a Muslim man from Moorpark, California, in his 50’s who teaches computer science at Ventura Community College in California, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter. Police had asked the public since the incident to provide video evidence of the encounter, because pro-Palestinian protestors denied that any assault took place.
Witnesses say that Alnaji hit Kessler following an altercation at a demonstration which included pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protestors on November 5 on Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Mr. Kessler, 69, then fell and sustained serious injuries to his brain and later succumbed to his wounds the next day.
Police say that Alnaji is being held on $1 million bail.
The Daily Mail reported that on the day of the incident, police raided Alnaji’s home and vehicle.
Alnaji posted a video on social media from Palestinian activist Shahid King Bolsen which compared the Hamas terror group to historic civil rights leaders, saying “If someone asked me to condemn Hamas I would say, what’s the rush? Let’s let history decide.
“You condemned Nelson Mandela until you didn’t, until he was a hero,’ he adds. ‘You condemned Mahatma Gandhi until you didn’t.” He went on to list other figures, including Yassir Arafat, head of the PLO terrorist organization, citing his awarding of a Nobel peace prize. “Let’s wait and see because you might change you mind on this one too,” Bolsen said of Hamas.
At the protest, video published on social media shows antisemitic statements were made on a megaphone, including one protestor who shouted “Hitler should have smashed you.”
Regarding Kessler’s death, Agudath Israel released a statement that it “is appalled, though not surprised, that the overheated, misguided emotions that have roiled many of the demonstrations ostensibly calling for a “free Palestine” but in fact advocating the destruction of Israel has resulted in the violent death of an innocent man.”
Police are still asking the public for video evidence, and are offering a $1,000 cash reward for anyone with information on the incident.
