The Jewish community in Antwerp, Belgium, has withdrawn from an interfaith introduction project after a background check on journalist Khadija Akok uncovered old social media posts containing antisemitic language and apparent support for terrorist organizations. According to a report in Israel Hayom, Akok had approached the community a few weeks earlier with a proposal to include five Jewish children in a shared project with children from other faiths in the city.
The community initially viewed the idea positively, saying it wanted to encourage open dialogue between groups. Before making a final decision, however, it decided to review Akok's online activity. That review reportedly found a 2014 Facebook post in which she wrote, "I will join Hamas and fight for the tiny piece of land left in Palestine... All I want to see is death."
The check also found a post by an Islamist figure under the caption, "Death to dogs, Palestine will be freed," where Akok liked a comment that said, "Jews are cursed anyway." Another finding was that she had shared a photo of one of Osama bin Laden's sons with wording praising the religious text attached to it.
After the findings were raised with her, Akok said the posts were written about 12 years ago, when she was younger, and that her views have changed since then. The Jewish community in Antwerp nevertheless said the statements were too severe to ignore, rejected cooperation with her, and canceled its participation in the project.
