A British-Palestinian journalist lengthy accused of getting ties to Hamas reportedly performed a number one function in launching the help ship that carried local weather activist Greta Thunberg and others, earlier than it was intercepted by Israeli forces.In line with a report in The Telegraph, Zaher Birawi was concerned within the high-profile launch of the Madleen, a vessel aimed toward difficult Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The ship set sail on June 1 beneath the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, carrying 12 worldwide activists, together with Thunberg.Birawi is the top of the Worldwide Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza and a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. He was current at Madleen’s departure and praised these aboard for his or her braveness in trying to ship assist to Palestinian civilians. The mission included provides akin to child formulation and staple meals objects like rice.The Israeli navy detained the ship in what Birawi described as “a piracy operation in worldwide waters and 150 nautical miles from Palestinian waters.” He added, “The Freedom Flag Alliance calls for worldwide intervention to make sure their security and launch.”Though Birawi has denied any involvement in terrorist actions, he has been the topic of long-standing allegations. In 2013, Israel labelled him a Hamas operative primarily based in Europe. His non-profit, EuroPal Discussion board, which helps Palestinian rights, was designated a terrorist organisation by Israeli authorities in 2021.A 2012 {photograph} of Birawi attending an occasion alongside Ismail Haniyeh, the previous Hamas political chief, has typically been cited as proof of his alleged hyperlinks. Nonetheless, Birawi has persistently maintained his innocence. “My authorized workforce relied totally on the truth that there has by no means been any authorized sentence handed towards me by any official authority in any state wherever on this planet, and that by no means have I been discovered to have been concerned in any unlawful acts which might be deemed inside the scope of terrorism crimes,” he stated after profitable compensation from NatWest for allegedly itemizing him on a terrorism database.Extra lately, Labour MP Christian Wakeford used parliamentary privilege to label Birawi “a critical nationwide safety threat” and accused him of buying British citizenship “by means of the usage of pretend paperwork” following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. Birawi dismissed the accusations as “baseless.”Neither the UK nor the USA, which each record Hamas as a terrorist organisation, has taken authorized motion towards Birawi. The EuroPal Discussion board has additionally rejected claims of terrorist connections, arguing that it’s being unfairly focused for its advocacy work.Birawi has remained a vocal critic of Israeli insurance policies in Gaza and has led quite a few demonstrations in London. He additionally condemned the Israeli Defence Forces for his or her seizure of the Madleen and continued to name for worldwide stress to finish the blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been in place since Hamas took management in 2007.
