European Holocaust Day event cancelled after arrest threat to Israeli minister Amichai Chikli

An event to be held on the margin of the European Parliament's commemorations of International Holocaust Remembrance Day has been cancelled after an Israeli minister pulled out due to security concerns, The National understands.

Amichai Chikli had been due to meet members of the Jewish community in Brussels on Monday, the Jewish News Syndicate reported, and speak at an event called “Never Again? Indoctrinating hatred of Jews: What has changed in 80 years?”. It was to be co-hosted by members of the European Parliament Lukas Mandl of Austria and Andrey Kovatchev of Bulgaria, in association with the European Jewish Association.

"Mr Chikli was invited but he cancelled so the event was cancelled altogether. We heard ... there were security risks," an informed source in Brussels said. "It was cancelled because of his cancellation."

Under the guidance of Israel’s National Security Council, a decision was taken that the Minister of Diaspora Affairs should not travel, the Prime Minister's office said. There were no further details regarding the nature of Mr Chikli's security concerns, but it appears that he faced potential arrest in Belgium following a legal case raised by a pro-Palestinian group. Some Israeli families of hostages held in Gaza also mobilised last week to protest against Mr Chikli travelling for the event.

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a non-profit group based in Brussels, said in a statement on Tuesday that its president, Dyab Abou Jahjah, had filed a criminal complaint against Mr Chikli. It accused the Israeli minister of attempting to intimidate Mr Jahjah on X, formerly known as Twitter, "into halting his advocacy for justice in Gaza". It also cited reports in Israel that Belgium would not recognise immunity for Mr Chikli as his visit was not officially authorised.

HRF said Belgium had upheld international law, "making it clear that arrest remains a possibility. This development is a victory for accountability and a warning to those who believe they can act with impunity.”

Earlier this month, Mr Chikli claimed that HRF, which is pursuing legal action against Israeli soldiers, is linked to Hezbollah and Hamas. Mr Chikli wrote on X last month that "the HRF organisation, based in Belgium" had attempted to take legal action against Israeli soldiers in Brazil and the Netherlands. “The organisation is led by activists of Hezbollah and Hamas supporters,” he said, citing comments and activities by the founders.

In a separate endeavour, more than 40 relatives of families of Israeli hostages in Gaza and leaders and representatives of Jewish communities across Europe co-signed a letter on January 23 addressed to the MEPs organising the event, who are affiliated with the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), asking them to cancel Mr Chikli's invitation.

The letter expressed concern over Mr Chikli's opposition to a hostage rescue agreement, his support for far-right European politicians and his apparent backing for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and Lebanon. "His participation in this event risks overshadowing the vital message of the conference and undermining the credibility of the European Parliament’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism and hatred," the letter read.

It remains unclear whether the letter influenced Mr Chikli's decision to cancel his visit to Brussels. The organisers behind the letter said they wanted Mr Chikli to be categorised among hard-right Israeli ministers currently unwelcome in European capitals for their inflammatory behaviour, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. "The ceasefire in Gaza is still very fragile. He might be in a position to influence it. We want him to understand that there is a price to pay for what he is doing," they told The National.

The letter was also sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. The National has reached out to the two MEPs and the Belgian Foreign Ministry for comment.