After HonestReporting launched a campaign to help expose business entities linked to Hamas, a British lawmaker has taken action. In a written question submitted to parliament, Labour peer Lord Foulkes of Cumnock requested that the Home Secretary comment specifically on our revelations about the UK-designated Palestinian terror group’s financial dealings.
Documents obtained by Western intelligence sources previously showed that Hamas — proscribed in its entirety by the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, Canada, Israel and Japan — holds interests in dozens of international companies, reportedly worth some $500 million.
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In February, HonestReporting amplified and expanded greatly on an Arabic exposé that suggested that Hamas’ financial portfolio had suffered a “severe blow” after London-based institution Lloyd’s warned some of its members against doing any business with the terror group. This seems to have come in response to the UK’s blacklisting of Hamas in its entirety, whereas it had previously bifurcated between the Palestinian group’s “political” and “military” wings.
Lloyd’s reportedly informed companies of the risks associated with maintaining financial dealings with the Gaza Strip’s rulers. Unconfirmed research has found that “some of the cover companies that have worked for Hamas are traded on national stock exchanges.”
Despite the far-reaching implications of Lloyd’s letter, it was not made public. HonestReporting reached out to the organization to request a copy of the document, but Lloyd’s press office replied that it was “unable to share the report.”
Related Reading: Help Combat Hamas Terrorism: Join HonestReporting Campaign to Expose Entities Helping Gaza’s Rulers Hide Reported $500 Million
As outlined in our February 2 article, HonestReporting believes that it is in the supreme interest of the public and governments worldwide to know what companies have been facilitating Hamas’ war crimes against Israelis and Palestinians alike, especially in light of the UK’s counterterrorism strategy that entails working together with the private sector to thwart terrorist activity. This, “particularly where companies hold data that might flag emerging risks.”
HonestReporting has worked to bring the issue of Hamas’ secretive financial dealings to the attention of the British government. Now, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock, a Labour peer, has formally submitted the following written question in parliament:
“To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by HonestReporting Help Combat Hamas Terrorism, published on 2 February; and what assessment they have made of the warning within the report by Lloyd’s of London against its members doing business with Hamas.”
The question must be answered by the UK Home Office by March 18, albeit an extension can be requested.
As described in HonestReporting’s most recent impact report, our proactive approach is consistently garnering results, including as they relate to legislative initiatives. Just two weeks ago, we prompted a Dutch lawmaker to submit parliamentary questions effectively calling for a probe into a pro-Palestinian group with possible ties to EU-designated terror groups.
We will continue to update you, our readers and supporters, as HonestReporting’s campaign against Hamas’ facilitators advances.
To join our effort, we encourage you to contact Lloyd’s of London to inquire about its Hamas report.
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Image: UK House of Lords
