The Brussels Press Club. Source: EJP
By Yossi Lempkowicz
Earlier this year, Belgian Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt said that Hamas is active in Belgium through obscure companies and NGOs in order to present the terrorist group in a favorable light and collect money for the terrorist group under the guise of the Palestinian cause.
The European Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC), which was established in Brussels in 2022, is one these NGOs. On paper, the association is concerned with the musical, cultural and sporting development of young people. One of its founders is 61-year-old Palestinian Majed Al-Zeer, the minister told the Belgian parliament at the time.
The NGO is headquartered just opposite the European Commission. In reality, the minister, added, it serves as a lobby and organizes “conferences attended by European politicians, parliamentarians and legislators, as well as academics, journalists and people from civil society.”
The Times of London has cited a report by the German security services showing that Al-Zeer is in fact the leader of Hamas in Europe. “He has contacts all the way to the top of Hamas and organizes the group’s activities in several European countries,” the report noted.
On Oct. 14, EUPAC was due to organize an event titled “The Genocidal War in Gaza One Year On: Humanitarian, Legal and Political Implications in the European Context,” at the Brussels Press Club, featuring three members of the European Parliament, with Al-Zeer as keynote speaker. The conference was reportedly funded by Al Jazeera, the Qatari television channel.
IMPAC, a Brussels-based not-for-profit that promotes democratic values and counters radicalization, wrote a letter to the press saying that EUPAC is affiliated to Hamas, a terrorist organization proscribed by the European Union.
It also mentioned that Al-Zeer was designated by the United States as a “senior Hamas representative in Germany, who is also one of the senior Hamas members in Europe and has played a central role in the terrorist group’s European fundraising.”
IMPACT urged the Press Club to cancel the event.
“Allowing an individual like Majed Al-Zeer, a designated senior Hamas operative, to speak on your premises not only risks violating international sanctions but also compromises the integrity and security of your institution,’’ it said.
Finally, the conference was canceled by the Brussels Press Club.
A spokesperson for IMPAC welcomed “the swift and clear cancellation of the event, which is a positive response that reflects the Brussels Press Club’s dedication to upholding its standards and ensuring that its premises are not exploited by individuals with ties to terrorist organizations.’
“This sends a clear message that terrorism has no place in our public forum, a message that the MEPs who were slated to speak at the cancelled event should heed,” the spokesperson added.
Source: JNS - Originally published by the European Jewish Press
