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question everything

(50,838 posts) Wed Jul 30, 2025, 10:49 PM Jul 30

Belgium closes war crimes probe into Israeli pair, refers case to ICC

Belgian prosecutors have closed an investigation into an Israeli soldier and civilian who were briefly detained last week after attending the Tomorrowland music festival, Ynet learned on Wednesday.

Israeli officials say the move effectively ends the legal matter, as the ICC is unlikely to pursue action against the individuals in question, who are not high-ranking officials. The case stemmed from complaints filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation, an NGO that has repeatedly targeted IDF soldiers involved in the war in Gaza and initiated legal proceedings in multiple countries.

The two Israelis were detained for questioning in Belgium on suspicion of war crimes, according to the foundation, and were released shortly afterward. The Foreign Ministry later confirmed the incident, saying the men were briefly questioned during their vacation and then let go.

Earlier Wednesday, the foundation celebrated what it claimed was the Belgian federal prosecutor’s decision to open a criminal investigation and transfer the case to the ICC. However, the legal move amounts to the closure of the case in Belgium. The organization said that the referral “confirms that the matter has reached the highest level of international legal attention.”

The Hind Rajab Foundation criticized Belgian authorities, arguing they should have done more. “In our view, the suspects should not only have been arrested, but also detained and either prosecuted in Belgium or extradited to the ICC,” the group said. “Belgium has the legal basis and responsibility to do so. The current interpretation of its jurisdiction is, in our opinion, unnecessarily limited.”

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https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rygfiedpex

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Belgium closes war crimes probe into Israeli pair, refers case to ICC (Original Post) question everything Jul 30 OP

Shocking. Turns out that visiting Belgium while Israeli is not a crime. Not even a misdemeanor.. Beastly Boy Jul 31 #1

Just disgusting and very sad. Shame on Belgium for even opening this for consideration. lostincalifornia Jul 31 #2

Belgium is familiar with the former Hezbollah combattant who founded the Hind Rajab group. lapucelle Jul 31 #3

In addition to celebrating terror attacks, the founder of the Hind Rajab group also lapucelle Jul 31 #4

He's a nasty piece of work JustAnotherGen Jul 31 #5

Beastly Boy

(13,283 posts)

1. Shocking. Turns out that visiting Belgium while Israeli is not a crime. Not even a misdemeanor..

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2025, 12:37 AM

Jul 31

A completely unexpected turn of events, and a profound disappointment to Hind Rajab.Surely Belgium can do better than disregard a frivolous complaint!

lostincalifornia

(4,227 posts)

2. Just disgusting and very sad. Shame on Belgium for even opening this for consideration.

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2025, 03:36 AM

Jul 31

lapucelle

(20,607 posts)

3. Belgium is familiar with the former Hezbollah combattant who founded the Hind Rajab group.

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Thu Jul 31, 2025, 11:53 AM

Jul 31

Belgian newspaper fires columnist who praised terror attack
Lebanese writer, former Hezbollah combatant, wrote, ‘By any means necessary, #freepalestine’ after Jerusalem truck attack

A Belgian daily newspaper fired one of its columnists following his praise for the slaying of four Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem.

De Standaard, a left-leaning Flemish-language daily, said Monday that it would no longer feature columns by Dyab Abou Jahjah, a Lebanon-born activist from Belgium who has called for violent attacks on Jewish Israelis.

A day earlier, Belgian Jews took to Twitter to condemn Abou Jahjah’s remarks, which included: “By any means necessary, #freepalestine,” following an attack in which a Palestinian terrorist plowed a truck through a crowd of soldiers visiting a popular tourist spot. The driver, who was shot dead, reportedly was a supporter of the Islamic State terror group.

He also wrote on Facebook that the attack was “not terrorism but resistance.”

https://www.timesofisrael.com/belgian-newspaper-fires-columnist-who-praised-terror-attack/

lapucelle

(20,607 posts)

4. In addition to celebrating terror attacks, the founder of the Hind Rajab group also

Reply to lapucelle (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 31, 2025, 11:57 AM

Jul 31

called Antwerp’s mayor “a Zionist c***sucker” on Twitter. He founded a Muslim European group that published on its website a picture of Anne Frank in bed with Adolf Hitler as well as a caricature suggesting that Jews invented the Holocaust.

The Jewish Chronicle of London has described Abou Jahjah, who famously posed for a picture while holding an AK-47 assault rifle in his native Lebanon, as a former Hezbollah combatant.

After the 9/11 attacks of 2001 in New York, Abou Jahjah spoke of his “feeling of victory.” He has called Antwerp, which has a large community of Orthodox Jews, the “international capital of the Zionist lobby,” according to NRC.

In an interview published last year in the Dutch daily Volkskrant, Abou Jahjah defended his claim that the Israeli flag is comparable to that of Nazi Germany “because both countries practiced ethnic cleansing.” He rejected claims that the statement and others by him were anti-Semitic.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/belgian-newspaper-fires-columnist-who-praised-terror-attack/

JustAnotherGen

(36,724 posts)

5. He's a nasty piece of work

Reply to lapucelle (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 31, 2025, 12:49 PM

Jul 31

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