Political parties in the Belgian city of Willebroek last week decided to exclude Karim Hassoun, co-founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation, from participation in the municipal coalition.
The foundation seeks to prosecute Israeli soldiers around the world. It was behind the recent war crimes investigation targeting an Israeli tourist visiting Brazil.
Hassoun launched the organization in September 2024, one month before municipal elections in Belgium. After months of negotiations, the leaders of Willebroek’s two largest factions finally reached an agreement to form a governing coalition after Hassoun’s party agreed to expel him. Willebroek Mayor Eddy Bevers, from the center-right New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), had consistently stated that he would not govern alongside extremists.
The political development followed calls by the Belgian Jewish community for the Iedereen 2830 party to remove Hassoun from its rolls.
Regina Suchowolski Sluszny, head of the Belgian Forum of Jewish Organizations and a member of the European Jewish Association, had urged local politicians not to include a figure such as Hassoun. Jewish magazine Joods Actueel published photographs of Hassoun proudly wearing a Hezbollah cap and of him honoring a slain Hezbollah terrorist in front of the Belgian Holocaust Museum.
When asked whether he would condemn Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks, Hassoun wrote on social media, “I condemn Hamas for not taking 500 or 1000 hostages, instead of just 200.”
“Hassoun is a radical extremist who supports Hamas and Hezbollah and imports antisemitism to the streets of Europe,” said Belgian MP Michael Freilich.
Originally published by the European Jewish Press.
