visimoney
TLDR:
– The Jerusalem Post has conducted research that has uncovered a network of South African organizations and straw man companies involved in funding Hamas activities.
– The funding appears to be facilitated through accounts registered with major South African banks, including Standard Bank, Nedbank, and Absa.
The Al-Quds International Foundation, also known as the Al-Quds International Institute or QII, was established in Beirut by Hamas members in 2001 as a means of raising funds for the terrorist organization. The foundation is sanctioned by the US and Israel. It is part of a network of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations.
In South Africa, the Al-Quds Foundation operates under the name “Al-Quds Foundation SA” and openly admits to being a branch of the foundation with headquarters in Lebanon. The South African branch is led by Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, a former president of the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa and the United Ulama Council of South Africa. The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has linked the Muslim Judicial Council to the Union of Good, an umbrella organization involved in fundraising for Hamas.
The Jerusalem Post’s research also uncovered a proxy organization called the Baitul Maqdis Foundation, which acts as a cover for the Al-Quds Foundation’s operations, particularly in transferring funds to Hamas. The Baitul Maqdis Foundation has accounts with Standard Bank and Nedbank and has spread antisemitic and ahistorical conspiracy theories on its virtually blank Facebook page.
The South African chapter of the Al-Quds Foundation appears to have faced difficulties in transferring funds to Hamas through its Absa bank account, leading them to use the Baitul Maqdis Foundation as a proxy. All three major South African banks, including Standard Bank and Nedbank, are involved in facilitating these financial transactions.
Sheikh Hamid bin Abdullah Al-Ahmar, a Yemeni businessman, is believed to be responsible for overseeing the transactions from South Africa to the Al-Quds Foundation hub in Lebanon. Al-Ahmar has a long history of supporting terror groups and has strong ties to Hamas leadership.
While Nedbank could not confirm whether the Baitul Maqdis Foundation is a client, the bank stated that it has robust risk management and compliance programs to combat illegal activity. The other banks involved have not provided a response.
Overall, this research reveals the extent of the network of South African organizations involved in funding Hamas and the involvement of major South African banks in facilitating these financial transactions.
