A British-Palestinian columnist who was much accused of having relations to Hamas officially played a key role in the launch of the support ship carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg and some before it was intercepted by Israeli troops. Zaher Birawi was involved in the well-known start of the Madleen, a ship meant to challenge Israel’s marine blockade of Gaza, according to a report in The Telegraph. The ship set sail on June 1 under the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s charter, carrying 12 worldwide activists, including Thunberg, on the ship. The International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza is led by Birawi, who was a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. He praised those aboard for their bravery in attempting to support Israeli civilians while Madleen was on her way out and thanked them. Rice and other common food products were included in the goal, such as infant formula. In what Birawi described as” a piracy operation in international waters and 150 nautical miles from Palestinian waters,” the ship was taken by the Israeli military. The Freedom Flag Alliance called for international assistance to ensure their safety and transfer, adding that Birawi has long denied being involved in criminal activities. Israel labeled him a Hamas officer with an office in Europe in 2013. His non-profit, EuroPal Forum, which promotes Israeli right, was designated a criminal organization by Israeli officials in 2021. As proof of his alleged connections, Birawi frequently cited a 2012 photo of him attending an event with previous Hamas political key Ismail Haniyeh as proof. Birawi has, however, regularly maintained his innocence. After receiving reimbursement from NatWest for supposedly listing him on a extremism database, “my legal team relied largely on the fact that there has never been a constitutional sentence passed against me by any official in any state anywhere in the world” he said.” There has never been a legal sentence passed against me by any official in any state anywhere in the world, and there has never been been a case where I have been implicated in any unlawful acts that could be deemed to be a part of terrorism crimes.” More recently, Labour MP Christian Wakeford accused Birawi of obtaining American citizenship” through the use of bogus documents” following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. He also used political privilege to call him” a critical national security risk.” Both the United Kingdom and the United States, which both label Hamas as a terrorist organization, have filed legal claims against Birawi, who disputed that claim. The EuroPal Forum has also refuted claims that its advocacy work has had a terrorist connection, arguing that its efforts are unfairly targeted. Birawi has remained a vocal critic of Israeli policies in Gaza and organized numerous demonstrations in London. He also criticized the Israeli Defense Forces for capturing the Madleen and called for international pressure to end the Gaza Strip blockade, which has been in place since Hamas gained control in 2007.
