A conference funded by Al Jazeera and led by Hamas officials in Europe was canceled by its Brussels host venue’s website following a recent US treasury designation.
The European Palestinian Council for Political Relations (EUPAC), a Belgium-registered lobbying organization, organized the event under the leadership of two Hamas officials in Europe, chairman Majed Al-Zeer and deputy chairman Mohammad Hannoun. The US Treasury only designated these officials this week as Hamas officials who raised millions of dollars for the terror group.
The conference was set to take place on Monday. As of Thursday, the invitation has been taken off the venue’s website, with a different event replacing it.
It was titled “The Genocidal War in Gaza One Year On: Humanitarian, Legal, and Political Implications in the European Context” and was supposed to feature members of the European Parliament, including Lynn Boylan from Ireland, Daniel Attard from Malta, and Vicent Marzà Ibáñez from Spain, with EUPAC chairman Majed Al-Zeer as a key speaker.
There has been no official cancellation of the conference, and it remains unclear if it will still take place at the venue or at a different location.
The Al-Jazeera-Hamas connection
The Al Jazeera-Hamas connection Al Jazeera funded the conference, intended to host a designated Hamas official. Hamas, which was designated a terrorist organization by the EU, Canada, the US, and many other nations, defines itself as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist political and social movement founded nearly a century ago in Egypt. It seeks to establish an Islamic state with Sharia as its law. Other tributaries of the Muslim Brotherhood include Al-Qaeda and ISIS, both of which are part of the Salafi Jihadist stream of the movement.
Qatar, which owns the Al Jazeera network, is known as one of the major patrons of the Muslim Brotherhood and has promoted its branches across the globe with funding and moral support. In Israel, local courts have recently argued that Hamas views Al Jazeera as its propaganda and intelligence arm. On many occasions, the Qatari-owned channel published exclusive footage and first-hand statements and information originating from Hamas and its military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
The recent US designation, which was published on the one-year commemoration of the October 7 massacre, stressed that other parties are prohibited from providing funds, goods, or services for the benefit of the newly recognized Hamas officials, warning of “secondary sanctions” to those who engage in “certain transactions.” It is unclear whether Al Jazeera would also be subject to those sanctions in the case of funding this event.
Activists, politicians encourage cancellation Belgian MP Michael Freilich encouraged the Press Club to cancel the conference. He said, “I urge the Press Club to adhere to the US designation and cancel the event. However, regardless of the outcome, nothing would absolve Belgium of its responsibility.
The urgent need to shut down EUPAC, freeze its assets, and expel its leaders back to the West Bank cannot be ignored. With the US Treasury’s recent designation of this organization’s leaders, it is clear that the time for decisive action is now. The current Belgian government must prioritize this issue, especially given the disturbing tendency to blur the line between legitimate support for the Palestinian people and tacit acceptance of Hamas’s violent agenda. This is not a matter of diplomacy, but of national security and moral clarity.”
A spokesperson for IMPAC, a Brussels-based not-for-profit that promotes democratic values and counters radicalization, highlighted Al-Zeer’s designation and commended the decision to take the event off the Press Club’s website. “A swift and clear cancellation of the event would be a positive outcome that reflects the Brussels Press Club’s dedication to upholding its standards and ensuring that its premises are not exploited by individuals with ties to terrorist organizations. This would send a clear message that terrorism has no place in our public forum,” the spokesman stated.
Arsen Ostrovsky, a human rights attorney and CEO of the International Legal Forum, added that “common sense must prevail. It is inexplicable that on the anniversary of 12 months since the Hamas slaughter, the largest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust, anyone would contemplate, even for a moment, providing a platform to a Hamas-designated terrorist. The Press Club must implement a more stringent review process for future events and speakers to ensure space is not provided to designated terrorists and individuals inciting racial hatred.”
As of Thursday evening, the Brussels Press Club and MEPs Boyland, Attard, and Marzà Ibáñez have not responded to The Jerusalem Post’s request for comment.