California Man Charged With Manslaughter in Death of Jewish Man, Pleads Not Guilty

Loay Alnaji, the California man involved in the death of a Jewish man during an altercation between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators this month, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and battery charges on Friday, Jorge Garcia and Steve Gorman report for Reuters. Alnaji was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of battery causing serious bodily injury, felonies each punishable by up to four years in prison. He is accused of engaging in a physical confrontation with the victim, Paul Kessler, who fell to the ground and hit his head while taking part in opposing pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel street rallies. American Jewish and Muslim leaders have reported increased incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia, respectively, since the latest wave of Arab-Israeli bloodshed erupted with Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.