Muhammad Qassem Sawalha, a Hamas terrorist who ran operations in the West Bank, has been enjoying life in a British, state-funded home in the London borough of Barnet, The Sunday Times has reported. Barnet also houses one-fifth of all British Jews.
Sawalha recently purchased his council property, after living there since 2003, with a £112,000 discount (approximately NIS 552,500) with the help of the UK’s right-to-buy scheme.
The two-story property, which comes with a garden and a garage, is located only a 10-minute drive from the nearest synagogue.
The terrorist entered Britain through the use of a relative’s passport in the 1990s and has since claimed British citizenship, the Times reported.
Hamas is a recognized terrorist organization in the United Kingdom and supporting Hamas can lead to a 14-year prison sentence under the Terrorism Act.
Remote work for Hamas
While living in the UK, 62-year-old Sawalha was able to continue his work for Hamas remotely, through helping the terrorist organization launder money, the Times reported while citing a US Department of Justice indictment.
The Hamas terrorist took part in a 2019 visit to Moscow in an official capacity, where he served as Hamas’s politburo representative between 2013 and 2017.
In 2009, Sawalha signed a declaration that praised Allah for having “routed the Zionist Jews,” and called for weapons to be sent to Gaza, while demanding a “Third Jihadist Front."
How are British officials reacting?
The council’s leader, Barry Rawlings, told the Times that he was “horrified to think [Sawalha] could be living in our midst” and said he had launched a review.
“We will liaise with other stakeholders including the police and the government in reviewing the full history of this case and will take all appropriate action," he said.
“This has emerged at a time when communities locally are in desperate need of reassurance following the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and we have a responsibility as the council to ensure we can give that reassurance.”
UK Lawyers for Israel reported on Sawalha’s background in 2020 and informed counterterrorism police. Now, an investigation is being launched on whether the tenancy violated sanctions.