It is the first time that the Justice minister confirms that the Palestinian terror group also operates in Belgium through often shadowy constructions. Under the guise of supporting the Palestinian cause, the organizations would like to protect and promote the image of Hamas.

Belgian Minister of Justice Paul Van Tigchelt has admitted that Hamas is operating in Begium and there are groups in the country with lobbying and ffundraising for the terrorist group which is designated as such by the European Union.

The minister responded to a question from Michael Freilich, a member of the parliament from the opposition NV-A (New Flemish Alliance) party.

It is the first time that the Justice minister confirms that the Palestinian terror group also operates in Belgium through often shadowy constructions. Under the guise of supporting the Palestinian cause, the organizations would like to protect and promote the image of Hamas.

Van Tigchelt named the European Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC) as a proxy group fundraising and lobbying for Hamas, the terror group p responsible for the October 7 massacre in southern Israel in which at least 1,2000 people were killed and 240 kidnapped.£

EUPAC is led by Majed Al-Zeer, who has been recognized by German security authorities as a leading figure of Hamas operations in Europe, even naming him as a “representative of Hamas in Germany,” as revealed in mid-December 2023 by Der Spiegel. He was designated over a decade ago by Israel as a Hamas operative in Europe, along with the Palestinian Return Center he founded in London.

Another leader of EUPAC is Mazen Kahil, another Israel-designated Hamas leader in Europe, who reportedly served as treasurer of the Committee for Charity and Support for the Palestinians (CBSP, for the French Comité de Bienfaisance et de Secours aux Palestiniens), another group added by the US in 2003 to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists for its financial ties to Hamas.

On paper, according to its statutes, EUPAC is concerned with the musical, cultural and sports development of youth. But is music, culture and sports for youth really what EUPAC is about? The location of their headquarters suggests otherwise: Brussels’ Schuman Square, right across from the European Commission, in the heart of European politics. In reality, the non-profit organization serves as a means of lobbying for Hamas.

The minister did stress that until today in Belgium no extremist messages could be traced back to the organizations linked to Hamas. But what happens with that collected money or how that lobbying is reflected in reality – for example, among politicians who speak positively about Hamas ?

”It’s something that I’ve never heard before and it’s a disgrace,” declared MP Freilich.

The minister is a former head of Ocam, the country’s coordinating body for threat analysis.