I was quietly scrolling through my favorite VRTNWS.BE news app and came across the message below.
"Serious war crimes," Abou Jahjah accuses 2 Israeli festival-goers at Tomorrowland "
What's going on?
The Hind Rajab Foundation—led by activist Dyab Abou Jahjah —and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) have filed a complaint with the Belgian federal prosecutor's office. They accuse two Israeli festival-goers, believed to be active or former soldiers of the Givati Brigade , who attended Tomorrowland in Boom last weekend, of serious war crimes, including genocide, torture, attacks on civilians and hospitals, and the use of civilians as human shields.
They were identified by the Givati Brigade flag they were waving at the festival. According to Abou Jahjah, only two individuals will face legal action, even though dozens of Israeli soldiers were reportedly present.
Response and legal follow-up
- The Federal Prosecutor's Office confirms receipt of the complaint and is now investigating whether the case is admissible.
- Tomorrowland states that flags of military units are not permitted and will be removed by security — but that wearing (and waving) national or group flags is permitted, as long as they respect safety rules and do not promote hatred.
Background
- The Hind Rajab Foundation was established in Brussels in September 2024 with the aim of prosecuting Israeli soldiers for their actions in Gaza (and beyond), and has already filed complaints in several European countries and even with the International Criminal Court.
- Dyab Abou Jahjah is a Belgian-Lebanese activist known for his involvement with the Arab-European League. He was charged and convicted in Belgium in 2007 in connection with violent incidents, but was fully acquitted on appeal in 2008.
What now?
- The federal prosecutor's office will assess whether Belgium can apply universal jurisdiction to these individuals and whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the case.
- Of course, the following applies to Tomorrowland : military flags are prohibited and will be tackled during the festival.
I don't know about you, dear reader, but when I see something like this, I quickly get the feeling that I'm living in some kind of parallel world.
By the time the federal prosecutor's office has completed its assessment, the proverbial bird will of course have long since flown.