Israel bans Islamic Relief Worldwide from West Bank due to Hamas ties.

Israel bans Islamic Relief Worldwide from West Bank due to Hamas ties. (Jpost).

Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon signed a decree on Thursday banning Islamic Relief Worldwide from operating in Israel.

Israel believes IRW, which markets itself as a charitable agency that solicits donations from all over the world, funnels cash to Hamas.

Ya’alon’s ban was decided upon after the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), the coordinator for government activities in the territories, and legal authorities provided incriminating information against IRW.

The organization has representatives worldwide, including Australia, the United States, and Britain, where it is headquartered. Some of their local branches in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria are run by Hamas operatives.

Ya’alon’s decree makes it illegal for IRW to function anywhere in Israel, Judea, and Samaria. It will also be forbidden from transferring funds to any destination in Judea and Samaria.

“[The IRW] is another source of funds for Hamas, and we have no intention of allowing it to operate and assist terrorist activity against Israel,” Ya’alon said.

“This is another in a series of steps that we are taking against Hamas in Judea and Samaria and the pressure we are applying, the goal of which is to harm the organization’s leadership and rank-and-file as well as its civilian infrastructure. These serve as the foundation from which Hamas operates among the local population.”Hmmm....Time for the Canadian Gov to close down their 'offices'

From Scaramouchee:

Will Funds Donated to Islamic Relief Canada's "Palestine Emergency Appeal" End Up Helping Hamas?

Islamic Relief Canada, which is using the fracas in Gaza to fundraise for Palestine, is a branch of Islamic Relief Worldwide. And according to Discover the Networks,

IRW was established in England in 1984 by Dr. Hani Al-Banna, who remains its President to this day. Al-Banna is a former trustee of Muslim Aid (MA), a global charity based in London. While Al-Banna was associated with MA, the group was a “partner organization” to the Al-Salah Islamic Association, a Gaza-based entity that the U.S. Treasury Department designated as a “Key Support Node” for the terrorist group Hamas. (MS Director Ahmed Al-Kurd was also designated by the U.S. government as a “terrorist.”) Moreover, while Al-Banna was involved with MA, the group was a partner to organizations directly related to the Muslim Brotherhood of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).