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🇮🇱 Israel /Conflict & Security

Failed car bomber released in Oct 7 deal gave video speech at Berkeley classroom

From Jerusalem Post · (13h ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Israa Jaabis, a Palestinian woman convicted of an attempted car bombing in 2015, spoke remotely to students at UC Berkeley Law School.
  • Jaabis was released in November 2023 as part of a hostage ransom deal following the October 7 Massacre.
  • The event was organized by student groups, including Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine, and featured a video of Jaabis addressing a classroom of clapping students.

The Jerusalem Post reports on a controversial event at the University of California, Berkeley, where Israa Jaabis, a Palestinian woman convicted of attempted terrorism, addressed students via video conference. Jaabis, who was released in November 2023 as part of a hostage exchange following the October 7 Hamas attack, spoke at an event organized by student groups, including UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine.

Jaabis was released in November 2023 as part of a ransom for 26 hostages captured by Gazans during the October 7 Massacre, according to the BBC.

— BBCProviding background on Jaabis's release.

The article highlights the nature of Jaabis's conviction in 2015 for attempting to detonate a car bomb in Jerusalem, an act that wounded her and a police officer. The Shin Bet stated that notes supporting 'martyrs' were found in her possession. The report also notes that the Palestinian Authority at the time claimed the incident was fabricated by Israeli police.

Israa Jaabis, who was convicted of an attempted car bombing in Jerusalem in 2015, spoke by video call to students at Berkeley Law School classroom 170 during a Palestinian Political Prisoners Day event organized by Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine and UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine.

— Article TextDescribing the event and Jaabis's background.

This event, occurring at a prominent US university and involving a figure released in a significant hostage deal, is likely to spark debate. The Jerusalem Post, reflecting a perspective often critical of Palestinian actions and supportive of Israeli security concerns, frames Jaabis as a 'failed terrorist' and emphasizes her conviction and the circumstances of her release. The inclusion of the detail that students clapped for her underscores the perceived disconnect between the campus environment and the gravity of her past actions from the publication's viewpoint.

A video posted on Wednesday by UCB SJP, in which Jaabis addresses the students, shows a full classroom of students clapping for the failed terrorist.

— Article TextDetailing the student reaction to Jaabis's address.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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