Israeli minister forced to cancel visit to Brussels: Israeli media
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The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that the Minister of Diaspora Affairs was forced to cancel a planned visit to the European Parliament "due to concrete warnings."
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Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli is seen here in a May 2024 photo. (AFP)
Israeli media reported on Monday that Benjamin Netanyahu's office made an unusual announcement, revealing that Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli had been instructed to cancel his trip to Brussels "in light of concrete warnings, and in accordance with the guidance of security officials."
The report stated that Netanyahu's office did not reveal the specific threat that prompted the dramatic decision to bar Chikli from flying to the European Parliament event in Brussels, where he was also scheduled to meet with the city's Jewish community.
Chikli posted on X on Sunday night, "I regret to inform you that I received instructions from security forces tonight to cancel my participation in the International Holocaust Remembrance Day events at the European Parliament. It is unfortunate that Brussels, the capital of Europe, has become an unsafe place for Jews and Israelis."
The Hind Rajab Foundation, which has filed numerous complaints against Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) soldiers globally, said that Chikli canceled the visit to "evade prosecution."
In a post on X, the foundation wrote, "The minister who threatened HRF chairman Dyab Aboujahjah canceled a visit to Brussels, citing 'security concerns.' We are convinced that this decision has more to do with avoiding justice and legal action. The Hind Rajab Foundation will continue its efforts to End Impunity."
Read next: IOF hide soldier identities fearing legal consequences abroad
Recently, the foundation has focused on targeting soldiers and filing counter-complaints, calling them out for war crimes during the war in Gaza. Two weeks ago, the pro-Palestinian organization made its first attempt to arrest an IOF general by submitting a request to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for the arrest of Major General Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT).
At the same time, there were no major concerns about the minister being arrested in Belgium, suggesting that the matter could be related to a "security threat".
