Pro-Palestinian Groups Target Israeli Officer at World Cup in France
Pro-Palestinian organizations and a French leftist MP filed a war crimes complaint against Israeli reserve officer Elitzur Gitler, who is currently in France competing in the Roundnet World Championship.
The Hind Rajab Foundation, a pro-Palestinian organization tracking Israeli soldiers traveling abroad, announced it has filed a complaint in France against Israeli reserve armor officer Elitzur Gitler. Gitler is in France representing Israel at the Roundnet World Championship, held near Paris from September 2 to 6.
Far-left French MP Thomas Portes of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party joined the campaign, petitioning French prosecutors to open an investigation into Gitler's personal responsibility for actions in the Gaza Strip as a platoon commander in the 401st Brigade's 9th Battalion.
Coordination of the Boycott
The information was passed to the foundation by the French Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (FRACBI). This move is unusual, as FRACBI publicly claims its boycott efforts target institutions rather than individuals.
Gitler, who manages the roundnet community in Ra'anana, is a key player on the Israeli national team. According to the International Roundnet Federation (IRF) schedule, the Israeli squad has advanced past the group stage to the knockout rounds at Parc du Tremblay.
Legal Demands and Radical Groups
The Hind Rajab Foundation and the Urgence Palestine collective are demanding that French authorities launch a preliminary inquiry and prevent Gitler from leaving France. They accuse his unit of involvement in four specific operations in Gaza:
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Operations at the Rantisi Children's Hospital in Gaza City in November 2023;
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Demolitions in Bani Suheila square near Khan Yunis in December 2023;
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Destruction of structures in the Hamad neighborhood in March 2024;
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Demolition of the Hassan al-Banna mosque and a school near Khan Yunis in March-April 2024.
Urgence Palestine, established immediately after the October 7, 2023 attacks, is a coalition of far-left groups and BDS cells. The French Ministry of the Interior has previously announced intentions to outlaw and dissolve the group due to allegations of antisemitism and promoting Hamas propaganda.
Global Campaign Against IDF Soldiers
The Belgium-registered Hind Rajab Foundation was founded by Dyab Abou Jahjah, a Lebanese-Belgian activist close to Hezbollah. The group monitors social media accounts of IDF soldiers to track their travels abroad and file war crimes complaints.
Since early 2024, the foundation has filed over 100 criminal complaints in approximately 30 countries. However, legal experts note that French law places strict limits on universal jurisdiction, meaning the filing of the complaint does not guarantee that French authorities will pursue the case against Gitler.
