Jaabis was released in November 2023 as part of a ransom for 26 hostages captured by Gazans during the October 7 Massacre, according to the BBC.
A failed Palestinian car bomber released as part of an October 7 Massacre hostage ransom spoke remotely to University of California, Berkeley students on Monday at an event held in one of the university's classrooms, according to social media posts by the organizing student groups.
Israa Jaabis, who was convicted of an attempted car bombing in Jerusalem in 2015, spoke by video call to students at Berkeley Law School classroom 170 during a Palestinian Political Prisoners Day event organized by Berkeley Law Students for Justice in Palestine and UC Berkeley Students for Justice in Palestine.
A video posted on Wednesday by UCB SJP, in which Jaabis addresses the students, shows a full classroom of students clapping for the failed terrorist.
Jaabis was released in November 2023 as part of a ransom for 26 hostages captured by Gazans during the October 7 Massacre, according to the BBC.
2015 incident: Jaabis accused of attempted car explosion
In 2015, Jaabis had allegedly attempted to ignite a gas tank in her car with flammable materials, which exploded, wounding her and a police officer who stopped her car. She reportedly yelled "allahu akbar" during the incident, and the Shin Bet said that it found handwritten notes in her possession that detailed support for "martyrs."
The wounded officer said that he had stopped her outside Maaleh Adumim after he spotted her driving in a commuter lane with no passengers. When he spoke to her, Jaabis reportedly acted suspiciously.
The Palestinian Authority claimed at the time that the Israel Police had fabricated the story as an excuse to attack the woman. According to the BBC, Jaabis denied the charge, and her family claimed that the fire started because of a faulty engine.