Christian Charity "Stands By" Its Terror-Funding Official

CHRISTIAN CHARITY "STANDS BY" ITS TERROR-FUNDING OFFICIAL [Excerpts]

Mohammad El Halabi, age 38, the regional operations manager at the international NGO World Vision, is not what the spokesperson of World Vision claims he is. The world’s largest Christian charity issued a statement saying, “World Vision stands by Mohammad who is a widely respected and well regarded humanitarian, field manager and trusted colleague of over a decade. He has displayed compassionate leadership on behalf of the children and communities of Gaza through difficult and challenging times, and has always worked diligently and professionally in fulfilling his duties."

Among El Halabi’s “duties,” according to Israel’s security, the Shin Bet (in Hebrew Shirut Bitahon), was to divert millions of dollars intended for Gaza’s civilian population, to the Hamas’s military wing. He also stole food and health packages intended to reach poor Gazans and injured children, to be used by Hamas terrorists. In the indictment filed against El Halabi last week, he is accused of funneling tens of millions of dollars in aid money from the U.S. and Europe, which was intended for the people of Gaza to fund the construction of terror tunnels aimed at kidnapping and killing Israeli military personnel as well as civilians. In addition, World Vision money went to fund Hamas’ rocket buildup and the construction of military posts. 

On June 15, 2016 the Shin Bet arrested El Halabi at the Erez border crossing, charging him with serving six years as an agent of Hamas’ military wing, Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.  According to the Shin Bet, El Halabi, a resident of Jabalia (in the Gaza Strip), was tasked with infiltrating World Vision, a U.S. based Christian aid group, and covertly funneling $7.2 million a year in aid money to Hamas.  Of that sum $1.5 million a year went to the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades.  Simultaneously, Halabi also monetarily supported and cooperated with organizations supporting the BDS movement.

Additionally, Halabi admitted that the humanitarian aid money, about $4 million a year, was used to build tunnels and for purchasing arms.  He told his interrogators that food stores for the needy Gazans and funds to support children were also transferred to Hamas. To cover his schemes, Halabi set up fictitious humanitarian projects, and fictitious agricultural associations.  Hamas operatives were registered as workers in non-existent projects.  Halabi used invoices for such projects and passed the cash to Hamas.  Shin Bet investigators also alleged that Halabi initiated a project that involved building greenhouses that were actually used to mask tunnel building activities.

El Halabi also used $80,000 in British aid to pay salaries to Hamas operatives, and give bonuses to terrorists who fought against Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. And, as already mentioned, funds were used to build Hamas military bases, including one code-named “Palestine” that was built in 2015, using British money.

Luke Akehurst, who is campaigning for membership in Britain’s Labor party National Executive Committee, had this to say about British funds going to Hamas. “Kind-hearted Brits have given tens of thousands of pounds to a Christian charity to help needy children in Gaza, only to find that they were duped and their money stolen and diverted to fund Hamas’s terrorist activities.  It’s outrageous that instead of helping Gazan children to be fed and clothed, Hamas prefers to build terrorist infrastructure, dig attack tunnels into Israel, pay their terrorist fighters, and buy missiles that will be used against Israeli civilians.”

(Puder, "Christian Charity 'Stands By' Its Terror-Funding Official," FrontPageMag Online, 8/12/16)

[TBC: Other media have begun looking into World Vision's Gaza conduct. The Australian government recently announced they were suspending all charitable aid to World Vision.]