A former Palestinian suicide bomber recently addressed students at the University of California, Berkeley, and made a video appearance during an event for Palestinian Political Prisoners Day, receiving enthusiastic applause from attendees.
Released from an Israeli prison in 2023 as part of a prisoner exchange linked to the October 7 attacks, Isla Javis spoke to law students at Berkeley on Monday. The event was organized by Students for Palestine Justice.
Back in 2015, she faced charges for attempting to ignite a gas tank after an encounter with Israeli police in Jerusalem. The explosion resulted in significant injuries to Jaabis and left a police officer with burns as well.
Authorities claimed she shouted “Allahu Akbar” just before the blast and held a note supporting Palestinian martyrs. She received an 11-year prison sentence in 2017 for the incident.
A police officer who was injured described the event as a terrorist attack, commenting on how shocking it was to find himself in such a situation.
During her address, Jaabis expressed gratitude for the support and suggested that the gathering provided hope, stating that it showed there is still some humanity left in the world.
She expressed a desire for future allies who could amplify their message about Palestinian prisoners and advocate for the liberation of oppressed societies.
A pro-Palestinian student group at Berkeley shared footage showing students erupting in applause during her speech. The “teach-in” was promoted as featuring the testimonies of Palestinian torture survivors and those imprisoned for their beliefs.
A spokesperson from UC Berkeley commented that the university strives to uphold the First Amendment rights, emphasizing their obligation to allow constitutionally protected speech without sanction or censorship.
The California Post reached out to student groups involved for further comments.
Additionally, the Trump administration has initiated an investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism at UC Berkeley, following past criticisms regarding the creation of “Jewish-free zones” in 2022.
