Imagine a pro-Palestinian demonstrator being struck in the head with a baton and dying. In California this would have resulted in swift justice with a hate crime charge and a life sentence.
– It is a travesty of justice, writes Samuel Short in Western Journal.
After Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, a 53-year-old Jordanian university professor, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of the Jewish man Paul Kessler, he was sentenced to 365 days in prison.
Document wrote about the case, which took place in November 2023 during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the city of Thousand Oaks in California.
Jødisk mann drept av pro-palestinsk demonstrant i California
Alnaji struck the 69-year-old Kessler in the head with a megaphone. He fell backwards onto the ground and was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Alnaji pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, according to VC Star. On Tuesday, Judge Derek Malan at Ventura County Superior Court sentenced him to one year in prison, followed by two years’ probation.
This is a miscarriage of justice that gives Alnaji an incredibly lenient punishment for taking someone’s life, writes Samuel Short.
According to Fox News, the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was blunt force injuries, which could initially have carried a sentence of four years for the Jordanian. Alnaji is an Arab, described by Fox News as an “anti-Israel professor at a community college”.
The defence downplayed the circumstances surrounding the altercation, greatly to the benefit of their client. Defence attorney Ron Bamieh said of the incident: – Two old men had an argument, and an accident happened.
Ron Bamieh attempted to portray Kessler in a negative light by claiming that he had a history of promoting violence and provocative tactics at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
He tried to explain Kessler’s death by saying he had a brain disease, and largely placed the blame on the Jewish man.
Deep concern for peace in the community
Bamieh said that Alnaji had made the right decision by avoiding a full trial:
Mr. Alnaji made a thoughtful decision today, a decision driven by consideration for his family’s well-being and a deep concern for peace in the community.
The tragedy that befell Mr. Kessler, exacerbated by the geopolitical tensions surrounding Israel and Gaza, led Mr. Alnaji to change his mind and choose not to proceed with a full trial.
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, however, said that Alnaji should be sentenced to prison for his violent behaviour, and his office strongly protested against any lenient sentence.
Jonathan Oswaks was Kessler’s friend and was present on the day he died. He stated that their group was in the minority.
When I say that I had never in my life experienced such a level of hatred, I mean it, he said. I asked them to stay away from me.
They withdrew for a short while, but then started again. I made it clear that they had to stay away, and eventually they did.
The Cleveland Jewish News spoke with Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at the Lawfare Project, who said: – Calling this sentence a scandal does not do justice to the case.
Filitti said that this reveals major flaws in the criminal justice system that must be addressed: The prosecution refused to charge the case as a hate crime, which it was.
He seriously underestimated the gravity of an act that should have triggered a mandatory sentence, while the judge handed down a lenient sentence that is perceived as a devaluation of Jewish life.
California is becoming notorious for flawed judgments, writes Samuel Short in conclusion.
Imagine a pro-Palestinian demonstrator being struck in the head with a baton and dying. In this deep blue state there would have been swift justice with a hate crime charge and a life sentence.
There is nothing to indicate that Alnaji has changed his ways. What is to stop him from being back on the street, ready to commit the crime again, after serving his sentence? asks Short.