California Court Sentences Jordanian Immigrant to One Year for Killing Jewish Protester

Loay Alnaji, a 50-year-old Jordanian immigrant, was sentenced to one year in county jail and two years probation for the manslaughter of Paul Kessler, a 69-year-old Jewish-American protester. The incident occurred in November 2023 in Thousand Oaks, California, during a clash between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators, about a month after the October 7 Hamas attack.

According to Ventura County prosecutors, Alnaji admitted in May to charges of involuntary manslaughter and assault causing serious injury. The prosecution stated that Alnaji struck Kessler with a megaphone, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement. Kessler was hospitalized but later died from his injuries.

The prosecution had sought a longer sentence in state prison, but the court imposed only a one-year county jail term. This decision sparked criticism from anti-Semitism watchdog groups. Eliza Levine of the Campaign Against Antisemitism emphasized the need for the justice system to deter violence against Jews amid rising anti-Semitic protests. Gerard Filitti, legal advisor to the Legal Warfare Project, called the light sentence a disregard for Jewish lives.

The case highlights tensions in California following the October 7 attacks and raises concerns about judicial responses to politically charged violence.