The connections between the Arab-Israeli political party Ra’am (also known as United Arab List) flagship associations, and terror organizations were exposed here in two previous investigations in recent months and years. In an additional investigation, the third in number, we expose the ties of the “IGATHA 48 Association” and “Al-Aqsa” with Hamas headquarters in Europe. Our star will be, of course, MK Mansour Abbas, the one who this week walked out of an interview on the Israeli Reshet Bet program when asked repeatedly whether Hamas needs to be dismantled. The same one whom naive Knesset members recently characterized as a Zionist.
Hamas-Europe was declared in Israel as a terror organization in December 2013 by then-Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. The declaration details operative names at Hamas-Europe headquarters and cites among prominent operatives Amin Abu Rashed and Muhammad Hanoun. Abu Rashed heads the “Isra’a Fund” organization in the Netherlands, declared a terror organization already in May 2007 by then-Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, and heads the “Al-Wafa” organization, part of Hamas-Europe headquarters. Muhammad Hanoun heads the ABSPP Italy organization, declared in Israel as a terror organization in 2006 as part of Hamas’ charity coalition. The American administration also designated its organizations as terror entities in 2008. None of this stopped activists from the “IGATHA 48 Association” and the “Al-Aqsa” associations from establishing extensive connections with Abu Rashed, Muhammad Hanoun, and their organizations between 2015 and 2022.
One photo, published on Abu Rashed’s Facebook and on the “Al-Wafa” website, reveals the tip of the iceberg of the link between Ra’am’s subsidiary associations and Hamas-Europe headquarters. In the photo, against a blue sea backdrop, prominent activists from ” IGATHA 48 Association,” Mansour Abbas, then secretary general of the Ra’am party and subsequently party chairman, alongside Amin Abu Rashed. The meeting occurred on October 16, 2015, roughly two years after the specific declaration about Abu Rashed as a terror operative and approximately seven years after the declaration about his organization as a terror organization. The cover was, as usual, humanitarian – a meeting in Greece for Syrian refugees. Is there another way to assist Syrian refugees without a terrorist’s help?
In the photo, one can also see Nael Issa, head of foreign relations for the “IGATHA 48 Association,” son-in-law of Abdullah Nimr Darwish, founder of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and husband of Nasiba Issa, who serves as head of the women’s headquarters in the Islamic Movement and in Ra’am and is considered a powerful woman in the party. We’ll return to him momentarily.
MK Mansour Abbas at the Israeli parliament (Knesset) (Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon)
In June 2025, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on operatives at Hamas-Europe headquarters. This happened because it became clear they raised tens of millions of dollars, ostensibly for charity and humanitarian activity purposes, but in reality, these were transferred to Hamas’ military wing. Among the operatives were Abu Rashed and Muhammad Hanoun, who, according to the US Treasury Department, raised millions of dollars for Hamas. “Hamas and the Popular Front have a long history of misusing charity organizations and the non-governmental sector,” the US Treasury Department website states. “Terrorists run some of these charity organizations, and their connections to Hamas and the Popular Front are deliberately concealed to evade sanctions… The Isra’a charity fund in the Netherlands is a member of the umbrella organization ‘Charity Coalition,’ which is directly connected to Hamas’s military wing and comprises additional organizations that generate income for Hamas under the guise of legitimate charity work.
“Amin Razi Abu Rashed, representative of the Isra’a Fund, is a senior Hamas operative in Europe and is responsible for raising millions of American dollars for Hamas through the use of fake charity organizations as cover. Representative of the Isra’a Fund and Hamas operative Israa Abu Rashed led campaigns on behalf of the Isra’a Fund to raise and direct funds to Hamas. The Isra’a charity fund, based in the Netherlands, is part of the ‘Charity Coalition’ umbrella organization.”
The US Treasury Department defined on November 12, 2008, that “‘Charity Coalition’ is an organization created by Hamas leadership to transfer funds to the terror organization.”
Abu Rashed is familiar to the Israeli public from the “Double Agent” series by Zvi Yehezkeli and the “Ad Kan” organization on Channel 13, where he is heard saying, “My work is to eliminate Israel.” Abu Rashed and his daughter, Israa, who actually managed the fund, were arrested in June 2023 in the Netherlands. In their possession were found 750,000 euros in cash that were confiscated, on suspicion that they were designated for Hamas. His trial is being conducted in the Netherlands on charges of transferring 11 million euros to Hamas.
Cooperation on Temple Mount
The summit meeting in Greece was not a one-time event. Before it, cooperation occurred between Hamas-Europe headquarters operatives and Ra’am associations. For example, in July 2015, two food distributions occurred in Jerusalem and in the Temple Mount compound that were donated by “Isra’a” and “Al-Wafa” in cooperation with Ra’am’s “Al-Aqsa” association. The joint activity was documented on “Al-Wafa’s” Facebook and on Abu Rashed’s.
After the meeting in Greece, the connection intensified. In February 2016, a delegation traveled to southern Turkey to support Syrian Palestinian refugees. In the various photos, one can see the two Hamas-Europe representatives, Abu Rashed and Hanoun, wearing vests with the European Union symbol and the “Al-Wafa” symbol, while beside them are activists from the “IGATHA 48 Association” in official vests of the organization.
In March 2016, Abu Rashed published on Facebook that “the European Loyalty Campaign launched its second campaign in southern Turkey in cooperation with the Islamic Association for Assistance to Orphans and the Needy in the Palestinian territories of 1948 and the Islamic Fund in the Netherlands (Isra’a). They distributed funds to Palestinian families in the city of Adana, and the families received sponsorship for six months according to family size.” In the photos, one can see Nael Issa, head of foreign relations for the “IGATHA 48 Association.”
In 2016, the ABSPP organization, Hamas-Europe headquarters branch in Italy, published a fundraising campaign for the bus project to the Temple Mount of the “Al-Aqsa” association. In the publication circulated on social networks, details of bank accounts in Italy were attached. The cost of sponsoring a bus was 350 euros.
In May 2019, an iftar meal was documented at Al-Aqsa Mosque under the sponsorship of Hamas-Europe and Ra’am’s “Al-Aqsa” association.
In 2019, the ABSPP organization published a video to raise funds for its activities in the Temple Mount plaza. The star of the terror organization’s video is none other than Hamad Abu Daabas, who was then head of Ra’am’s Islamic Movement. Abu Daabas headed the body that determined Ra’am’s Knesset list and also dictated its decisions in the coalition. Abu Daabas was replaced in 2022 by Safwat Freij, who today, alongside being head of the Islamic Movement, also serves as director of the “Al-Aqsa” association.
According to an investigation published by Elchanan Groner in HaKol HaYehudi, parallel to all this, Hamas-Europe and Ra’am’s associations joined with the Hamas organization “Khayr Ummah” in Turkey. According to the investigation, over the years, Ra’am associations supported and allegedly transferred extensive aid to Hamas operatives, refugees from Syria who moved to Turkey. The connections continued also in January 2022, when operatives of these three organizations were documented together in Turkey, when Abu Rashed stood beside Nael Issa. According to a Justice Ministry report, the “IGATHA 48 Association” transferred 933,000 shekels ($263,046) to the terror organization “Khayr Ummah.”
Mansour Abbas (L) and Hamas-Europe operative Amin Abu Rashed in the joint photo from 2015 (Photo: Social media)
Overall, the three investigations we published – conducted with the help of the research department of the “Choose Life” forum – expose that Ra’am party’s subsidiary associations, “IGATHA 48 Association” and “Al-Aqsa,” maintained economic connections and prolonged cooperation with ten different terror organizations in the years 2014-2023:
Islamic Charity Society Hebron terror organization
Islamic Charity Association for Orphan Care Yatta terror organization
Charity Committee Ramallah terror organization
Charity Committee Tulkarem terror organization
Hamas headquarters in Europe terror organization – Al Wafaa
Aman Palestine terror organization
Human Appeal/charity deeds organization terror organization
Committee for Aid and Solidarity with Palestine (CBSP) terror organization
Association for Charity and Solidarity with the Palestinian People (ABSPP) terror organization
Isra’a Fund in the Netherlands terror organization
The abundance of the word charity in the names of these terror organizations could confuse the mind, like the sweet talk of Mansour Abbas, who continues to deny the link of the Islamic Movement and of his party’s subsidiary associations to Hamas.
So here is a small example of what stands behind seemingly innocent humanitarian activity, which might help us be slightly less confused. In October 2025, Paratroopers Brigade fighters under Judea Brigade command raided the offices of the “Islamic Charity Association” in Hebron as part of an effort to thwart terror funding and confiscate incitement materials.
“The association, which presents itself as assisting those in need, actually serves as an organizational arm of the Hamas terror organization and works to advance incitement to terror and to recruit and channel funds to finance terror activities under the organization,” the IDF website states. “It is one of many branches in the Judea and Samaria sector. As part of the activity, approximately 165,700 shekels ($46,728) in terror funds were seized and confiscated. In addition, Hitler’s book ‘Mein Kampf’ was found on the premises, along with equipment used for incitement, including computers and technological devices, files, documents, and more.”
This is the same charity association with which “IGATHA 48 Association” conducted a joint activity in June 2017, even though, as mentioned, it was declared a terror organization already in 2002. The activity included a fun day for orphans, funded by “IGATHA 48 Association.” The heads of the organizations, Khatem al-Bakhri – head of the Islamic Charity Association in Hebron, Ali Katnani – chairman of the “Sawa 48” association, and Bashir Saudi – member of Ra’am’s list for the 25th Knesset, posed for a souvenir photo.
This is the same charity association to which the “IGATHA 48 Association” transferred 2 million shekels ($564,000) in the years 2020-2021, as stated in the supervision results report of the Justice Ministry, written by attorney Yosefa Margolin.
The report is a product of an investigation opened at the Corporations Authority following the publications and complaints filed by the “Choose Life” forum. In the report’s summary, the Registrar of Associations determined that “IGATHA 48 Association” should be closed following its ongoing connections with terror organizations and serious irregularities. The association’s bank accounts were blocked, but in practice, “Sawa 48” has not yet been closed, and liquidation proceedings at the Corporations Authority continue and await a judicial decision on the matter.
Meanwhile, as revealed in Israel Hayom, a criminal investigation into the matter opened and is being conducted these days. “For several months, an investigation has been underway at Lahav, with all relevant parties regarding Association 48,” Brig. Gen. Lilit Nitzan Tayber, an officer at Lahav 433, said at a hearing last month at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “The events of October 7 elevated the materials and allowed us to establish an evidentiary infrastructure for advancement in the investigation. This is an in-depth investigation that justifies the connecting between money transfers from Israel and from abroad to Gaza.”
Hitler’s book found by IDF soldiers at “Islamic Charity Society” offices in Hebron (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
How did the events of October 7 elevate the materials? Is it possible that new documents were seized in Gaza that shed light on additional arms of the octopus? We directed this question to the Shin Bet and to the Israel Police, but received no response. We will have to wait for the investigation to continue.
Some people were surprised this week when Mansour Abbas disconnected the call in an interview on Reshet Bet, when the host insisted on checking with him whether he supports dismantling Hamas. Even the interviewer himself said, “Okay, wow. I never remembered him like that.” You don’t need to remember; you just need to read the works.
Abbas continues to defend the “IGATHA 48 Association” and “Al-Aqsa” associations. He claimed they had no connections with Hamas and that the Israeli government transferred suitcases of money to Hamas. Throughout the years, as we published in previous investigations, Abbas participated in their conferences, published their activities, and helped raise funds for them. As recalled, alongside being chairman of the Ra’am party, Abbas is also deputy chairman of the southern branch of the Islamic Movement, and by virtue of this position said that “the United List project in the Knesset is not the most important project of the Islamic Movement, but the third or fourth, after the ‘Al-Aqsa’ association and the aid association for orphans.”
In the first investigation we published, we interviewed attorney Yehuda Shafer, formerly Deputy State Attorney and currently international advisor for combating money laundering and terror funds. After examining the raw materials, he determined, “There is suspicion of criminal offenses here. An in-depth examination by the Registrar of Associations is required, and a criminal investigation is required.” We now presented him with the new revelations. “It is important to exhaust the investigation in this case, to clarify that anyone who transfers funds knowingly or with closed eyes, knowing they will reach Hamas or another terror organization, will be charged with terror financing,” Shafer said. “The FATF organization, the multinational task force for combating money laundering and terror financing, published in June this year a report emphasizing the misuse of funds, ostensibly designated for humanitarian aid, for terror financing.”
Q: But the claim is that Israeli governments also allowed the transfer of funds to Hamas in Gaza.
“It is clear that the Israeli government also sins in this with the humanitarian aid transferred to Hamas’ hands, knowing it also serves terror purposes. Unfortunately, in the absence of an investigation committee, lessons have not been drawn, also not in the realm of terror financing, which led to Hamas’ empowerment and to the disaster of October 7. These affairs must be investigated and the law must be enforced against anyone found to have known or suspected that funds are being transferred to the Hamas terror organization and closed their eyes. Lessons must also be drawn, and financial de-dollarization of Gaza must be implemented, including a reduction in cash use and a transition to alternative means, such as biometric rechargeable cards, for humanitarian aid distribution. All financial activity in Gaza, including charitable activities, must be supervised. We are expected soon to see a flow of billions for Gaza reconstruction, and the concern is that the funds will be diverted in part or in their majority to strengthening Hamas and building terror infrastructure.”
Shin Bet: “The Israel Security Agency operates according to its purpose by law to protect state security, the democratic regime and its institutions from threats of terror, sabotage, subversion, espionage, and exposure of state secrets. For clear reasons, we cannot provide details regarding the operations the service performs as part of fulfilling its role.”
“Choose Life” forum of bereaved families and terror victims: “We demand that the criminal investigation that was opened be exhausted. The evidence and facts in the affair speak for themselves. The Islamic Movement of the Ra’am party supported Hamas systematically and continuously through the two associations. It raised funds and transferred economic support to terror organizations. Mansour Abbas cannot hide anymore under the guise of an innocent politician. The Israeli public, from right and left, needs to understand the severity of this affair. Until October 7, Hamas succeeded in strengthening militarily, among other things, through declared terror organizations that pretended to be charity organizations and are scattered in Gaza and in the West Bank, and also in Europe. These funds were raised for Hamas support on an extensive scale. Mansour Abbas and Ra’am people cooperated with them for years. This is the truth that can no longer be hidden.
“We call on additional bereaved families harmed by Hamas terror on October 7 to join us in the ‘Choose Life’ forum in demanding from all Zionist parties in the Knesset condemnation of the Ra’am party and enforcing the law against those who cooperated with the murderous Hamas organization in the entire period that preceded the massacre. We, for our part, will not rest until the truth comes to light.”
We attempted to obtain the response of Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas and of the party spokesman, without success.
