As we reported earlier, a 50-year-old professor from Ventura County Community College has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who was protesting in support of Israel in Thousand Oaks on November 5. There was a pro-Palestinian gathering across the street, and Kessler was knocked to the ground, allegedly by the suspect, Loay Alnaji.
Red State has obtained photos and video showing parts of the events surrounding the incident. They show Alnaji and another man crossing the street from the Palestinian side to the corner where the pro-Israel protesters were standing.
The images do not show the actual moment when Kessler suffered his fatal injuries, but they do show the actions of two other men who also crossed the street to confront the pro-Israel side. According to Red State, the men are identified as Imam Shaykh Omar Jubran of the Islamic Society of Simi Valley, and Mamdouh Elalami, a businessman in Simi Valley. In the clips, Elalami is shown shouting "Allahu Akhbar" into a megaphone in the faces of pro-Israeli protesters while Jubran is standing next to him and apparently videotaping the pro-Israel protesters. There are other chants shouted by Elalami to the pro-Israeli protesters that are clearly offensive, threatening death and destruction to Israel. Someone is also recorded chanting, "Hitler didn't want you," in which a cop and police tape are visible, showing that it was after the alleged attack.
In the 7:57 video, you can see Elalami, Jubran, and others face-to-face with pro-Israeli demonstrations. It is clearly after the alleged attack because the police are there in numbers and the corner is marked off with police tape. Elalami is shouting insults to the pro-Israel demonstrators with a bullhorn. I ask why the police did not usher them back across the street, especially given the fact that Kessler had already been injured!
In either case, while the words and actions by Elalami, Jubran, or anyone else may not be criminal in nature, they are despicable. They were provocative and could only have contributed to the tension and volatility of the event. Keep in mind, these were not college-age kids. They were grown, middle-aged adults who should have known better. They and Alnaji should not have crossed the street in the first place. In addition, had there been actual police present at the time of the incident, they could have prevented such encounters from taking place.
Red State also points out that Elalami was previously chosen as "Man of the Year" by the Islamic Society of Simi Valley. How ironic. I wonder if he will win it again this year.
*Update: Ventura County authorities have stated that possible hate crime charges against Alnaji are still under investigation, but would hinge on whether there were any anti-Jewish statements that accompanied the alleged assault. Police are still attempting to obtain video evidence of the incident.
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