Zaher Birawi

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Zaher Khalid Birawi
Born1961or1962(age 63–64) [1]
EducationUniversity of Sheffield
Occupationactivist

Zaher Khalid Birawi (born 1961 or 1962) is a Palestinian-British activist and political organiser based in London.

Career

Born in the West Bank, Birawi studied at the University of Sheffield and has resided in the United Kingdom since the 1990s. [2] [3] He is a journalist for Al Hiwar, an Arabic-language television channel in London. [4] [3] As chairman of the Leeds Grand Mosque, he condemned the 7 July 2005 London bombings. [5] [6] Until 2009, he was a director of the Palestinian Return Centre, an organization based in London that advocates for the Palestinian right of return. [7] His organization, the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza, [8] [9] is a founding member of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. [10] He has been involved in various aid missions to Gaza, including serving as a spokesman for the 2008 Lifeline 3 [11] and the 2010 Gaza flotilla and assisting in organizing the June 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. [8] [1]

Birawi has also been involved with the EuroPal Forum and Education Aid for Palestinians. [4] In January 2023, EuroPal Forum released a social media campaign which featured quotes from Israeli politicians. Birawi said the campaign was designed to "expose" the anti-Palestinian racism of the right-wing Israeli government. The campaign was criticized by Israeli NGO Ad Kan and Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli as an attempt to delegitimize Israel. [12] [13] Birawi has participated in protests during the Gaza war and wrote a letter to the UK Cabinet accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. [4] [3] His writing has appeared in Middle East Monitor. [14]

The Israeli government designated Birawi as a "Hamas operative" in 2013. [4] In 2023, MP Christian Wakeford stated that Israel considers Birawi a "Hamas operative" in the House of Commons. [2] In September 2025, the Israeli government stated that it had evidence that the Gaza aid flotillas were linked to Hamas based on documents it found in Gaza that referenced Birawi. [8] Flotilla organizers disputed the accusation, calling it "propaganda". [15] [3] According to Le Figaro , there is little evidence that Birawi is a "Hamas operative". [16] Birawi has denied the allegation, criticizing it as an attempt to prevent pro-Palestine activism [1] [4] and stating that he has never been convicted of a crime. [3] In 2021, Birawi was awarded financial compensation after suing World-Check, a background checking database that had falsely categorized him as a terrorist. [17] [3] [18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 White, Debbie (11 June 2025). "Man behind Greta Thunberg's Gaza flotilla is 'Hamas operative'". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 Parker, Ali Mitib, Mario Ledwith, Charlie (10 November 2023). "What are the Pro-Palestinian protests about and who is organising them?". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 8 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Zaher Birawi, the Palestinian-British activist identified by Israel as a Hamas link and a key figure in the flotillas to Gaza". ABC International. 2 October 2025. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Hymas, Charles. "London-based 'Hamas operative' behind Greta Thunberg's Gaza flotilla". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "Sports, flirting: Different view of blast suspects". NBC News. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "In a Neighborhood in Leeds, Tolerance Tempers the Hard Economic Times". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Parker, Oliver Moody, Berlin | Fiona Hamilton, Chief Reporter | Charlie (22 December 2023). "The British activist accused of being a key Hamas ally". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. 1 2 3 Fabian, Emanuel (30 September 2025). "Documents from Gaza show Hamas's 'direct involvement' with aid flotilla, Israel claims". The Times of Israel. ISSN   0040-7909 . Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "Largest Gaza aid flotilla sets sail as famine deepens". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Freedom Flotilla Coalition members". Freedom Flotilla. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Un convoi d'aide à Gaza bloqué en Jordanie, médiation turque". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 27 December 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  12. ↑ "Palestinian campaign against racism accused of 'smearing' Israeli politicians". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  13. ↑ "UK group slammed after using Israeli MKs in pro-Palestinian adverts – www.israelhayom.com". 23 January 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  14. ↑ "Zaher Birawi". Middle East Monitor. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  15. ↑ Salman, Jack Guy, Billy Stockwell, Lex Harvey, Gerardo Lemos, Dana Karni, Abeer (1 October 2025). "Greta Thunberg and other activists detained as Israeli military intercepts Gaza-bound aid ships". CNN. Retrieved 15 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Maillot, Hugues (10 June 2025). "«Flottille de la liberté» : Zaher Birawi, cofondateur de la mission humanitaire, accusé d'être un agent du Hamas". Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 11 June 2025. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  17. ↑ "Palestinian activist receives damages after being placed on World-Check blacklist". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  18. ↑ Hauschild, Gabriel Pogrund, Louise Callaghan and Dominic (28 October 2023). "Hamas fugitive spouts hate on TV station based in London". www.thetimes.com. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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