University of California, Berkeley – Student Groups Hosts Israa Jaabis

Summary

On April 20, 2026, UC Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a “Teach-In: Palestinian Political Prisoners Day” event at Berkeley Law that featured a remote address by Israa Jaabis, a Palestinian woman who was imprisoned in Israel from 2015 to 2023 after being convicted in connection with a vehicle explosion near Jerusalem. Event materials described the program as a discussion with Palestinian prisoners and advocates regarding Palestinian political prisoners but did not identify Jaabis as a featured speaker.

On October 11, 2015, Jaabis was injured, along with Israeli police officer Moshe Chen, after a fire involving her vehicle near the Ma’ale Adumim checkpoint outside Jerusalem. Israeli authorities alleged that Jaabis detonated a car bomb in an attempted attack and charged her in connection with the incident. Jaabis was convicted and sentenced to prison. Her family disputed the allegations and stated that the fire resulted from a malfunction in her vehicle. On November 26, 2023, Jaabis was released from prison as part of a prisoner exchange agreement following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and hostage releases.

During the April 20, 2026 event, Jaabis spoke to attendees through a video call. Footage from the event showed students attending the program and applauding during her remarks. The event drew criticism from Jewish advocacy organizations and other groups because of Jaabis’s conviction. Critics argued that Berkeley Law had provided a platform to an individual convicted in connection with a bombing and raised concerns that event materials did not disclose her identity and background before the program, while supporters of the event described it as a discussion of Palestinian prisoners, detention practices, and Palestinian political advocacy.