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."

The post The plot against the IDF: How 1 group targets Israelis abroad appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

One year after the bereaved families of Naftali Frenkel, Gil-ad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrach, the three teens kidnapped and murdered by Hamas in 2014, filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the terrorist group, the Jerusalem District Court has issued a ruling on the case.

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Jerusalem District Court Judge Ilan Sela ordered the organization to pay just 38 million (around $11.8 million). The families had sought 520 million shekels ($155 million) in compensation in their suit.

Sela issued the ruling, absent the presence of a Hamas representative, in which he noted the specific compensation Hamas was ordered to pay was based on a previous Supreme Court ruling. According to that ruling, each estate is to be awarded 3 million shekels (around $935,000) in compensation and each claimant 1 million shekels.

The bereaved families plan to appeal the ruling. The Shurat Hadin Israeli Law Center, which represented the families, explained the families had sought to stop the flow of funds, estimated to amount to anywhere from $50-$100 million each month that the Palestinian Authority transfers to Hamas. As these funds are transferred to the various arms of the terrorist organization, including its military wing, they can be seized as part of the court's ruling against Hamas.

Shurat Din further argued the court's ruling disparages the lives of the victims and makes a mockery of the war on terror funding: "No $10 million ruling will deter an organization with a billion-dollar budget. The purpose of the lawsuits is to topple the terrorism, and this cannot be done through amounts that are insignificant to them [the Hamas terrorists]."

Noting US courts have ordered terror victims to be paid hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation, the organization said there was therefore nothing stopping Israeli courts from doing the same.

In a statement, Shurat Hadin founder Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said: "It cannot be that the Israeli court will spare the terrorist organization that funded, planned, and carried out the terrible attack that was etched on the entire nation's heart. The ruling allotting a tenth of the compensation claim will severely damage Israeli deterrence and the means to eradicate terrorism in economic ways. I believe that the ... punitive damages for victims of terrorism should be anchored in law for victims to receive the amount they deserve and thereby force the terrorist organizations to think twice before paying for their actions."

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Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's announcement that it will stop selling its product beyond the Green Line is illegal under the 2001 merger approval decision between Unilever Global and Ben & Jerry's, former Antitrust Commissioner Dror Strum has informed the Israel Competition Authority.

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Strum was head of the Competition Authority and as Antitrust Commissioner approved the merger 20 years ago.

In a letter to Israel Competition Authority Director-General Michal Halperin, Strum explained that under the terms of the 2001 merger, Unilever was obligated to maintain a complete separation between Ben & Jerry's Global and Ben & Jerry's Israel licensee. The terms stipulate that Unilever and Strauss Ice Cream and Ben & Jerry's "not take any action that may interfere with the franchisee's activities in the country."

Strum said last week's decision to restrict sales over the Green Line was "illegal, contrary to the conditions, and has devastating and immediate consequences for the licensee in Israel."

Strum has sent a written notice to Ben & Jerry's Global, warning them they are violating the Israel Competition Law and the terms of the merger.

"As long as Unilever wants to continue to sell ice cream in Israel, it must continue to sell Ben & Jerry's in Israel and in all its areas," Strum said.

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The post Ben & Jerry's decision to restrict sales in Israel 'illegal,' says former antitrust chief appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.