Jordanian Man Charged With Manslaughter Over Death of Jewish Protester in Thousand Oaks

Loay Abdel Fattah Alnaji, 50, a Moorpark College professor who is also a citizen of Jordan, according to CNN, was charged by the Ventura County district attorney with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury, for his suspected role in the death of a Jewish man at a protest in early November at the corner of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard.

The incident has drawn national attention, with the New York Times calling it “a flashpoint for the Israel-Hamas war, a deadly example of rising tensions even from thousands of miles away” (Nov. 18, 2023, “Arrest Made in Death of Jewish Protester at California Rally”).

Alnaji pled not guilty in November and also denied the special allegations that he personally inflicted great bodily injury on Paul Kessler, 69, of Thousand Oaks, a longtime progressive activist and outspoken Israel supporter who apparently was struck, fell and subsequently died. Alnaji has been ordered to relinquish his passports, CNN reported. His attorney, Ron Bamieh, told the network that Alnaji is “a man of peace, who abhors violence, and believes in the truth of persuasive arguments and education, never violence.”

The ugly event put Thousand Oaks on the map even as anti-Israel protests erupted across the U.S. following Hamas’ bloody and coordinated attack on Israeli civilians in early October. Eyewitnesses say Alnaji physically confronted Kessler near the Shell station. At a press conference, D.A. Erik Nasarenko and Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said detectives had gathered more than 600 pieces of evidence and reviewed more than 60 witness statements in the case (“Prosecutors used videos and photos to piece together ‘clear sequence’ of events before fatal injury of pro-Israel protester,” by Elizabeth Wolfe, Cindy Von Quednow and Holly Yan, CNN, November 18, 2023).

Lacking among the evidence is any video recording of the actual incident, and the D.A.’s office was still hoping to find footage, perhaps from a passing vehicle, to substantiate or refute the claim of criminal culpability. According to the Los Angeles Times, before Kessler’s fall, protesters were yelling slogans into megaphones and in people’s faces, including, “All of Israel will burn in hell” and “All of Israel are cowards.”

Kessler is reported to have been retired from the medical field, with his death leaving behind a wife and two children. Kessler, a well-known local activist for leftist causes, engaged Alnaji in what the New York Times called “at first, the usual kind of interaction that takes place at dueling rallies. An argument between two opposing protesters, each firm in his beliefs.” NBC News cited social media images that showed Kessler waving an Israeli flag before the altercation (“’Conflicting’ accounts complicate investigation into Jewish man’s death after dueling California rallies,” NBC News, Nov. 7, 2023).

What happened next apparently was not caught on video as Kessler fell over backward and hit his head sharply on the sidewalk. The Washington Post reported that “When police arrived around 3:20 p.m. after a report of battery, they found Kessler, 69, on the ground with a severe head injury,” citing a sheriff’s office news release(“Jewish man’s death at Israel-Palestinian protests is a homicide, official says,” by Timothy Bella). Kessler was conscious and bleeding from the head and mouth when deputies arrived. He died in the early hours of Nov. 6 of swelling and hemorrhaging to the brain, Ventura County chief medical examiner Christopher Young told reporters.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles blamed the attack on a megaphone-wielding pro-Palestinian protester (Alnaji), who it said struck Kessler in the head, causing the fall.

“Our hearts are with the family of the victim,” the federation said in a statement posted to Facebook. “… we remind you that this is the fourth major antisemitic crime committed in Los Angeles this year alone. Violence against our people has no place in civilized society. We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it.”

Specifics remain uncertain, with the New York Times saying the incident “was clouded by conflicting statements from witnesses.”

“There was clearly an interaction between [Kessler and the suspect], but the level of interaction is still unclear,” Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said at a press conference.

According to ABC News, “Multiple people called 911 to report an incident of battery … including” Alnaji (“Not enough evidence for arrest so far in Jewish protester death: Police,” by Riley Hoffman, ABC News, November 9, 2023). Fryhoff said the suspect remained at the scene and was interviewed.

In a statement, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Kessler’s death “is a blow to our region at a time when tensions continue to rise worldwide. … We must redouble our efforts to ensure violence and hate are met with accountability and consequences.”

According to media reports, Kessler attended the conservative synagogue, Temple Etz Chaim, in Thousand Oaks, where a small, private vigil was held in the days after his passing.