A new investigation by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs reveals the inner workings of the campaign targeting Israeli soldiers in both hostile and non-hostile countries, orchestrated by the Hind Rajab Foundation.
The foundation was established in September 2024 in Brussels as a non-profit organization named after a Palestinian child allegedly killed by the IDF during Operation Iron Swords. The foundation is a branch of the March 30 Movement, which has been active for over three decades in legal warfare against IDF soldiers, headed by two Lebanese-born activists: Dyab Abou Jahjah and Karim Hassan.
The foundation collects publicly available information online about IDF soldiers, including details about military operations they participated in, aiming to prosecute these soldiers in foreign countries.
The foundation's achievements during Operation Iron Swords are regrettably impressive. So far, it has filed lawsuits against at least 28 soldiers in eight different countries. But that's not all – the organization has submitted information to the International Criminal Court (ICC) about "war crimes" allegedly committed by over a thousand soldiers and officers during their operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Beyond gathering information, researchers at the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs say the organization publishes information about IDF soldiers staying abroad to compromise their safety. The foundation even filed a complaint against Maccabi Tel Aviv fans who were attacked antisemitically in the Netherlands (November 5, 2024), claiming the fans "attacked pro-Palestinians and were documented making calls inciting violence against Palestinians and Arabs."
To intensify actions against IDF soldiers, the foundation is currently seeking to hire a law firm in Thailand specializing in laws of war and international humanitarian law to handle cases involving IDF soldiers in the country. In early January, they filed a motion against an IDF soldier staying in Thailand for alleged "war crimes." This is in addition to law firms working with the foundation worldwide. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs estimates the foundation will increase its activities in the coming period through partnerships with local law firms globally.
Dyab Abou Jahjah was born in southern Lebanon and a former recognized Hezbollah activist who was charged by Belgian police in 2002 for involvement in violence. The second, Karim Hassoun, has served as chairman of the Arab European League since 2005, which is dedicated to "helping Muslim integration in Europe," and has also previously published an antisemitic cartoon suggesting Jews fabricated the Holocaust. He holds Belgian citizenship as well. Hassoun was involved in 2002 in a lawsuit filed against then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a Belgian court for allegedly "committing war crimes" due to the Sabra and Shatila massacres in Lebanon when Christians slaughtered Palestinians as Israeli troops were nearby.
During Operation Iron Swords, Abou Jahjah worked to sue Yonatan Ben Hamo, an IDF soldier with Dutch citizenship, and other soldiers in Dutch court for "involvement in war crimes and violating Dutch law through attacks on civilians in Gaza." He also declared in an interview (December 27, 2023) with Belgium's La Libre that he would work to sue Israeli soldiers with Belgian citizenship in local courts. Additionally, Abou Jahjah has asked his social media followers to hunt down IDF soldiers of Dutch or European origin to pursue legal proceedings against them.
Regarding Hassoun – due to his apparent support for terrorism and antisemitism, local Belgian politicians have called to exclude him from the ruling coalition. In an attached article, Hassan appears wearing a Hezbollah hat, and evidence was presented showing he expressed support for the Lebanese terror organization and even praised Samir Kuntar, the murderer of the Haran family in Nahariya (1979). In 2009, he signed a petition calling on European Parliament candidates to remove Hamas and other "Palestinian liberation organizations" from the terror list and recognize Hamas as a legitimate voice of Palestinian liberation aspirations.
The Israeli government minister Amichai Chikli openly threatened me. This is a blatant act of terrorism and incitement. I will be filing a lawsuit against him.
What a hallucinating sense of impunity. pic.twitter.com/zd1TwKoHHm— Dyab Abou Jahjah (@Aboujahjah) January 6, 2025
Hassan has frequently praised acts of terrorism on social media and wrote just last month, "I condemn Hamas for taking only 100 hostages instead of 500 or 1000." In another post (September 15, 2023), he condemned a publication by the Islamic Fatwa Council against Hamas human rights violations, writing, "The Fatwa Council serves Zionist, American and Western interests, they are a bunch of Islamic regime cheerleaders, it doesn't matter if Hamas is considered Muslim or not as long as it opposes occupation we stand by it and pray for it."
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli said in a statement: "The findings from our ministry's research expose the true face of the 'human rights' organization Hind Rajab Foundation, led by clear Hezbollah activists who support terror. It's sad but not surprising that Lula's hostile government in Brazil adopted the unfortunate conclusions of this dubious organization whose face was exposed today, but [President] Lula doesn't represent the spirit of the Brazilian people – who mostly love Israel and despise terror organizations. I thank my friend, House Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, who joined the fight against terror supporters."
