A virtual appearance by a convicted terrorist at the University of California, Berkeley this week is drawing national attention after video circulated online showing a classroom of students applauding her remarks.

The speaker, Israa Jaabis, addressed students via video call Monday during a campus event marking Palestinian Prisoners Day. The event was organized by student groups affiliated with Students for Justice in Palestine and held inside a law school classroom, according to social media posts.

Jaabis was convicted over a 2015 incident in which an explosion occurred in her vehicle near Maaleh Adumim, injuring both her and an Israeli police officer who had stopped the car. Israeli authorities said she attempted to detonate flammable materials inside the vehicle and cited evidence, including statements and writings, indicating support for terrorist activity.

She was released in November 2023 as part of a hostage exchange.

Video shared by a campus group shows a packed classroom during the event, with students clapping following Jaabis’s remarks.

The university has not publicly clarified whether it had advance knowledge of the speaker’s participation or whether any institutional policies were implicated by the event.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)