The Registrar of Associations in Israel under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice has ruled to remove Igatha 48 as a recognized organization in Israel for suspicions of funding terror. The Registrar of Associations has started with the process of closing down Igatha 48 as a functioning organization in Israel.
Igatha 48 is considered the social welfare wing of the southern Islamic Movement in Israel while the Raam (also known as UAL, United Arab List) party in the Knesset is considered the movement’s political wing. Igatha 48 transferred 40 million NIS to Palestinians in Judea and Samaria and Gaza in 2023, before the massacre of October 7th. Igatha 48 operates two bank accounts in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, and according to Bank Leumi it is not clear where these funds end up. In addition, 30 of Igatha 48’s employees live in Judea and Samaria and Gaza and high percentages of their funds. The monies are deposited in cash, which increases the suspicion of questionable activities with the funds.
It was also publicized that Igatha 48 transferred huge sums to the Hamas terror group through an individual named Ga’ber Shelby who manages Hamas’s finances in Turkey. In 2021 alone, Igatha 48 transferred close to 400 thousand shekels to “Hir Umah”’ which is a Hamas organization raising funds.
Igatha 48 is also politically linked to the Raam party. The head of Igatha 48, Razi Issa, and 8 other employees of Igatha 48 are members of the Raam party and were on their list for Israel’s Knesset in recent years. Issa has met on several occasions with the leaders on Hamas, including Ghazi Hamad, who is leading Hamas propaganda efforts and has interviewed dozens of times since the beginning of the war to the foreign press saying that Israel must be destroyed, and that October 7th must happen again and again. Issa led the negotiations for the Raam party when they became an integral of the Bennett-Lapid government coalition in 2021.
Just two weeks ago, a panel of judges, chaired by Judge Limor Bibi, rejected Igatha 48 ‘s request for a temporary unlocking of their accounts in Bank Leumi, which previously blocked their accounts based on sufficient evidence that the Igatha 48 were using raised funds to finance terror. The court also ruled that Igatha 48 pay the court fees amounting to 15,000 shekel ($4,000) within 30 days.
The Registrar of Associations moved forward with the removal and closing down of Igatha 48 in large part based on the investigations of Ad Kan, Hakol Hayehudi and Choosing Life Forum.
Ad Kan is calling for all political and non-political entities to completely disassociate from the Raam party in Knesset due to their connections with terror and Hamas supporting Igatha 48. This is an easy decision for anyone who calls themselves Zionist and supports Israel while Israel is not under attack, but it is abundantly clear now as Israel faces terror from all sides and have experienced the worst assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.