Dyab Abou Jahjah, the founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation, has accused Israel of “commandeering” his name online and using Google search results to defame him.
Abou Jahjah, a prominent anti-Israel activist, claimed that when searching for his name on Google, the first result links to an Israeli government page that states his ties to Hezbollah.
Abou Jahjah, who has been involved in global efforts to hold Israeli officials accountable for their actions, took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “When you Google my name, the first result is a sponsored defamation article published on an Israeli government website. Beyond the irony of Israel spending American tax dollars to spread lies about me, this raises serious questions about Google’s role in enabling state-sponsored smear campaigns.”
Photo: @Aboujahjah on X
Photo: @Aboujahjah on X
The activist figure expressed concern that Google was facilitating state-sponsored propaganda by allowing the Israeli government to manipulate public perception through paid disinformation.
He questioned, “Should a tech giant be allowing authoritarian genocidal governments led by a wanted war criminal to manipulate public perception through paid disinformation?”
Abou Jahjah’s Hind Rajab Foundation, which claims to be focused on breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity, has faced scrutiny over its connections to Hezbollah. The foundation was founded in 2024 in Brussels, Belgium, and takes its name from Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza by the Israeli operation. The organization, which operates as a legal arm of the “March 30 Movement,” has been actively filing lawsuits against IDF soldiers involved in the Gaza conflict.
The Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has been actively working to discredit the Hind Rajab Foundation, with their efforts leading to defamation articles and attempts to expose Abou Jahjah’s past. The ministry has accused him of being a supporter of terrorism due to his past associations with Hezbollah. Abou Jahjah has also expressed support for resistance movements, including Hezbollah, and has eulogized slain leaders such as Hassan Nasrallah. His associate, Karim Hassoun, has voiced support for the October 7 abductions of Israeli civilians, drawing further criticism.
The Israeli government continues to target figures and organizations critical of its policies, but Abou Jahjah remains defiant, calling for greater transparency in search engines and the media. His comments challenge the growing concerns about the role of large tech companies in hosting government-backed narratives that limit free speech and protect state interests.
In response to Abou Jahjah’s accusations, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Amichai Chikli, expressed his pride in the ministry’s efforts to combat antisemitism, claiming they would continue to expose “so-called ‘human rights activists’ who turn out to be Hezbollah and Hamas operatives and supporters.” However, Abou Jahjah and his supporters argue that these claims are an attempt to silence Palestinian voices and critics of Israel’s policies.
