A proposal to create a coordinated total lawfare campaign between the Israeli government, global Diaspora civil society, and pro-Israel allies against Hamas was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office last week.
The plan by ANU Museum of the Jewish People CEO and former Efrat mayor Oded Revivi and museum chair Irina Nevzlin would systematically target Hamas worldwide through tort claims and other legal infrastructure to damage its funding capacity and public legitimacy, and is being considered by the relevant authorities, the PMO reportedly told Revivi.
Revivi’s task force proposal would see the establishment of an inter-ministerial mechanism together with Diaspora representatives. A spokesman specified that a government committee should be created with the Finance, Diaspora, and Foreign ministries pooling their resources and expertise.
Corresponding legislation, based on the 1950 Nazis and Nazi Collaborators Law, would allow the persecution of Hamas operatives and terrorist affiliates abroad.
Israel would appeal to elected officials, community leaders, and public figures asking that they push to outlaw the terrorist organization if their country has not already done so. Other legislation could ban fundraising and public relations on behalf of Hamas. A spokesman said many dual-citizen Hamas members could be targeted in other countries.
Making Hamas a pariah
Legislation would not be the only means to make Hamas a pariah. The campaign would hope to mobilize Diaspora Jewish organizations, youth movements, student groups, and other civil society non-profits to call for the de-platforming of Hamas-connected persons. The proposal suggested demonstrations as a means of preventing events for terrorist affiliates and supporters.
Revivi said there was existing legal infrastructure but individual cases were lost in individual and one-dimensional efforts.
A coordinated online campaign delegitimizing Hamas would also be pursued through the coordination of the Israeli government, civil society, and Israel supporters. According to the plan, the state would appeal to influencers to speak out against Hamas’s crimes, cruelty, and the suffering it brings to the Middle East.
“It’s more or less obvious but it hasn’t been implemented,” said Revivi.
While many NGOs and agencies around the world targeted Hamas in such a fashion, the ANU CEO contented they did so in a largely uncoordinated manner and without the intelligence that the government is privy to.
Pro-Israel and counter-terrorism NGOs use public information and open-source intelligence and are limited to operating using their own manpower and funding. The government could identify which banks and organizations are associated with Hamas supporters, he said.
Until now Israel has only tried to destroy Hamas militarily, but he wanted a multi-dimensional effort and one of similar resolve to eliminate the pipeline of funding from the European Union. Such a task force would be much more effective and efficient than just military operations, and perhaps could lead to the expenditure of less ammunition and fewer soldiers lost.
Nevzlin expressed hope that someone in the government would adopt the plan.