The founder of theanti-Israel Hind Rajab Foundation, Dyab Abou Jahjah, who is involved in the "hunting" of IDF soldiers worldwide, accused Israel on Thursday of "commandeering" his name. He claims that when searching his name on Google, the first result is an Israeli government page exposing his true identity.
In a post published on the X platform (formerly Twitter), he stated: "When you Google my name, the first result is a sponsored defamation article published on an Israeli government website. Beyond the irony of Israel spending American tax dollars to spread lies about me, this raises serious questions about Google’s role in enabling state-sponsored smear campaigns. By placing a government-funded hit piece at the top of search results, @Google is actively facilitating propaganda and defamation. Should a tech giant be allowing authoritarian genocidal governments lead by a wanted war criminal to manipulate public perception through paid disinformation?'"
When you Google my name, the first result is a sponsored defamation article published on an Israeli government website.
Beyond the irony of Israel spending American tax dollars to spread lies about me, this raises serious questions about Google’s role in enabling state-sponsored… pic.twitter.com/74rzvuYPKc
— Dyab Abou Jahjah (@Aboujahjah) March 6, 2025
Abou Jahjah's past and the Hind Rajab Foundation
Dyab Abou Jahjah, the founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation, is a former Hezbollah operative who presents himself as a human rights activist. However, investigations have revealed his connections to Hezbollah, his denial of the existence of gas chambers in Nazi extermination camps, and his support for the October 7 massacre. Thanks to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs' efforts, searches for his name or the foundation's name on Google lead to links exposing their activities as supporters, and even operatives, of terrorism. In January 2025, the ministry successfully had a complaint dismissed against anIsraeli soldier vacationing in Brazil after he was targeted by the foundation.
According to a comprehensive report published by the ministry that same month, the Hind Rajab Foundation was established in September 2024 in Brussels, Belgium, as a non-profit organization (NGO). The foundation claims to be "dedicated to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity," according to its own statements. It was named after Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl allegedly killed in Gaza following an Israeli operation. The foundation is essentially a legal branch of the "March 30 Movement," which was established by Palestinians in Europe at the start of the Gaza war.
When you Google my name, the first result is a sponsored defamation article published on an Israeli government website.
Beyond the irony of Israel spending American tax dollars to spread lies about me, this raises serious questions about Google’s role in enabling state-sponsored… pic.twitter.com/w4UVQUGSyQ
— Dyab Abou Jahjah (@Aboujahjah) March 6, 2025
This movement has also filed lawsuits against IDF soldiers who fought during the initial months of the conflict.
The founder, Abou Jahjah, was born in the town of Hanin in southern Lebanon and has stated that, in his youth, he joined Hezbollah to fight against Israel, participating in military training. He obtained Belgian citizenship in 1996 after marrying a Belgian woman, from whom he later divorced. Over 20 years ago, he was described in an article as the "Malcolm X of Muslim immigrants in Belgium." Abou Jahjah also regularly publishes opinion pieces in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah.
In a post on X following the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Abou Jahjah eulogized him and noted that he had met him in 2001. On October 17, after the killing of Yahya Sinwar, he wrote: "You can kill resistance leaders. Their deaths are a testimony against you. History will record that they stood up and said 'no,' showing the path that millions will follow. Your power will fade, your control will end, and so will you."
Abou Jahjah's associate, Karim Hassoun, also expressed support for the October 7 abduction of Israeli civilians. He even criticized Hamas for not kidnapping more Israelis, stating: "I condemn Hamas for not taking 500 or 1,000 hostages instead of just 200." Additionally, footage was published showing Hassoun proudly wearing a Hezbollah cap.
Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs response
Amichai Chikli, Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said in a statement: "I am proud of the ministry's efforts to fight antisemitism. We will continue to expose the true faces of all those so-called 'human rights activists' who turn out to be Hezbollah and Hamas operatives and supporters. We will fight these organizations with every tool at our disposal and will not give them a moment of rest."