"Foundation" Behind Campaign to Ban Israel from World Soccer is Linked to Hezbollah
A terror-linked foundation expands from legal warfare against Israeli soldiers to demanding a FIFA ban — a new investigation reveals the Hezbollah connections behind the multi-front campaign
The Hind Rajab Foundation made headlines yesterday with its latest controversial campaign, publishing a report calling for Israel’s expulsion from FIFA, UEFA, and all international sporting bodies. The Belgium-based organization accused Israeli football culture of becoming “a weapon of genocide” and demanded sanctions similar to those imposed on apartheid South Africa.
But a bombshell investigative report released several weeks ago by two prominent legal organizations reveals that HRF itself may be operating as a front for designated terrorist organizations, raising serious questions about the true motivations behind its escalating campaigns against Israeli institutions.
From Sports Boycotts to Terror Allegations
HRF’s latest football report documents incidents of Israeli soldiers photographing themselves with team banners in Gaza. The foundation supports the “Game Over Israel” campaign seeking Israel’s suspension from international sports federations, arguing that “football and genocide cannot coexist.”
However, a detailed 26-page investigation by the International Legal Forum and the National Jewish Advocacy Center paints a starkly different picture of HRF’s origins and objectives, presenting extensive evidence linking the foundation’s leadership to Hezbollah and Hamas-affiliated networks.
“While HRF formally positions itself as a neutral legal entity, evidence suggests it functions as a vehicle for ‘lawfare’ – the strategic use of courts and international bodies to target Israeli military personnel and delegitimize Israel internationally,” the terror-connections report states.
At the center of the allegations is HRF founder Dyab Abou Jahjah, who the report describes as having “long-standing associations with Hezbollah-linked networks and a documented history of radical rhetoric, antisemitic statements, and advocacy for groups designated as terrorist organizations.” The investigation reveals that Abou Jahjah has publicly praised Hezbollah leaders and justified violence against Israeli civilians.
Following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, he reportedly celebrated the assault on social media, describing the attacks as legitimate “resistance” and referring to Hamas fighters as refugees “returning home.” Additionally, Jake Romm, who serves as the legal advisor and the U.S. representative for HRF, seemingly justified the Oct 7 attacks by posting: “this is what accountability looks like.”
A Pattern of Escalating Campaigns
What began as HRF’s formation in September 2024 has rapidly evolved into multiple coordinated campaigns targeting Israeli interests across different spheres. The foundation has filed criminal complaints against over 1,000 Israeli Defense Forces soldiers with the International Criminal Court, launched legal challenges in multiple European countries seeking arrests of Israeli military personnel, initiated the sports boycott campaign, and coordinated with media outlets to publicize incidents involving Israeli soldiers and fans.
This multi-pronged approach, according to the terror-links report, reflects sophisticated “lawfare” tactics designed to isolate and delegitimize Israel across cultural, legal, and sporting domains.
HRF’s operations are linked to what investigators describe as “opaque funding streams” that mirror methods used by Hezbollah’s international financing networks. The report specifically highlights connections to Soafrimex, a company tied to Abou Jahjah’s family that was at the center of a major money laundering investigation. The company’s owner was designated by the U.S. Treasury as a major Hezbollah financier and subsequently convicted in Belgium.
As HRF continues to escalate its campaigns from yesterday’s call to ban Israel from world soccer to ongoing legal challenges targeting military personnel, the revelation of alleged terror connections raises fundamental questions about the organization’s true objectives and funding sources.