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Palestinian Return Centre, closely linked to Jeremy Corbyn,  loses Paypal facility

May 28, 2019

Paypal is no longer working as a payment method on the Palestinian Return Centre’s website store. It is possible that the link to Paypal has been severed following UKLFI’s submissions to Paypal earlier this year. UKLFI pointed  out that the PRC is designated as a terrorist organisation in Israel because of links to Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation.

PRC is a UK company which advocates for the Palestinian “right of return” which would mean  the end of a Jewish state of Israel.  Jeremy Corbyn MP has been a prominent supporter of PRC:

  • 14 Feb 2007 – Corbyn spoke at their 10th anniversary party

  • 16 Jan 2009 – Corbyn spoke at PRC’s conference in London on UNRWA and future of Palestinian refugees

  • 31 October 2009 – Corbyn visited Syria courtesy of The Palestinian Return Centre

  • 16 Dec 2009 – Corbyn spoke at PRC’s International conference of future of Palestinian Refugees

  • 13 Jan 2010 Corbyn spoke at PRC’s Press Conference for Palestine Memorial Week

  • 3 March 2010 Corbyn and others hosted PRC at Parliament, reporting back on a trip to Gaza

  • 15-22 Jan 2011 Corbyn spoke at PRC’s Palestinian Memorial Week / PRC Annual Conference

  • 6-9 Feb 2011 Corbyn was on a PRC delegation to Lebanon

  • 20 June 2011 – Corbyn hosted a PRC event in Parliament, discussing the plight of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

  • 16 Jan 2012 – Corbyn hosted a Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) event at Parliament on “The political misuse of health in Palestine

  • 16-23 Jan 2012 Corbyn hosted the Third Palestine Memorial Week with PRC.

  • 18 June 2012 Corbyn attended PRC’s sponsored International Refugee Day event at parliament

  • 12 September 2013 Corbyn attended PRC conference in London about the Oslo Accords

  • 25 October 2013 Corbyn attended a PRC event in honour of Richard Falk, UN Rapporteur on Palestine

  • 4 November 2013 Corbyn hosted a PRC event at Parliament to persuade the government to apologise for the Balfour declaration

  • 3 July 2018 Corbyn appeared on a PRC video at the Al Baqa Refugee Camp in Jordon

PRC was designated as a terrorist group by Israel, because of its links to Hamas, on 5 December 2010[1].  The notice stated that the PRC “serves as the organisational and co-ordinating arm of the Hamas movement in Europe. Its activists are senior Hamas movement figures, work to promote the movement’s objectives in Europe and maintain direct contact with senior Hamas figures, including the movement heads in Damascas. The centre is headed by various Hamas activists, among them Majed al-Zeer, Zaher Birawi and Majdi Akeel”.

It continued:  “The PRC’s activities are part of Hamas’ activities in the Palestinian communities in Europe in general and in Britain in particular. They belong to the overall undertaking conducted by Hamas around the world to support its activities in the internal Palestinian arena.  Thus as noted, on 5 December 2010 the defence minister outlawed the PRC as it is part of Hamas”. [2]

According to a statement from the Israel Security Agency, the PRC was designated as “an unrecognized association, since it belongs to Hamas.”[3]

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by countries including the United States[4], the  European Union[5], Canada[6], Israel and Japan.  UN Watch reported that PRC leaders cheered Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians and that Hamas congratulated PRC when it won UN status.[7]    PRC “has regularly hosted Palestinian leaders, including Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, at its annual conferences.”[8]

Majed Al-Zeer Khalil Moussar is the Chairman of PRC[9] and one of the two current directors of The Palestinian Return Centre Limited, and a “Person with significant control” (between 25% and 50% of shares and voting rights) according to documents filed at companies house on 8.11.18. Al-Zeer is one of the three founders of PRC[10].

Ghassan Faour is the second of the two current directors of The Palestinian Return Centre Ltd.  He signed PRC’s company accounts for the year to 31 July 2017 on 15 Feb 2018. He is deputy chairman of PRC’s board of trustees and was also a member of Interpal’s board of trustees until he retired in September 2018.[12]  Faour is one of original directors of The Palestinian Return Centre Limited, when the company was established.

Interpal is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US[13] and Israel,[14] and is listed as a Terrorism Financing Entity in Canada[15] and included on Australia’s consolidated list[16] for its affiliation to terrorism.   Interpal, which is an English Charity regulated by the Charity Commission,  denies that it is a terrorist entity but the designations remain in force.  Interpal describes itself as “a specialist, non-political charity working to support the most vulnerable and support Palestinian communities and says “We exist to empower Palestinians to face their challenges and hardships in our principal areas of operation: the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon.”

 

[1] https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/pdf/PDF_11_339_2.pdf (see page 12)

[2] https://www.terrporism-info.org.il/Data/pdf/PDF_10_253_2.pdf   page 12 Meir Amit report

[3] https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/hamas-affiliated-palestinian-britain-admitted-flotilla-project-gaza-strip-not-intended-break-siege-bring-humanitarian-aid-rather-promote-battle-hearts/

[4] https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm

[5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017D1426&from=EN

[6] https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx

[7] http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2015/07/22/hamas-congratulates-palestinian-return-centre-for-winning-un-status/

[8] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/11398538/How-the-Muslim-Brotherhood-fits-into-a-network-of-extremism.html

[9] https://www.facebook.com/events/2031969793744853/

[10] https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/pdf/PDF_11_339_2.pdf  page 35

[11] https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/pdf/PDF_10_253_2.pdf

[12] http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends94/0001040094_AC_20171231_E_C.PDF

[13] https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/js672.aspx

[14] www.mod.gov.il/Defence-and…/terror%20-%208.2017.xls

[15] http://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/Eng/fi-if/amlc-clrpc/atf-fat/Pages/default.aspx?pedisable=truev

[16] http://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/security/sanctions/Pages/consolidated-list.aspx#list