Austria has sentenced a Palestinian man to life in prison for attempting to recruit residents of the West Bank to engage in terrorism on behalf of Hamas, the Times of Israel reported.
The man, whose name was not released, was one of more than 1,000 security prisoners released from an Israeli prison in exchange for IDF serviceman Gilad Shalit in 2011. He was tracked down by Israeli intelligence and subsequently arrested and tried by the Austrians.
According to TOI, Israel allowed the judge in Palestinian’s case to go to the West Bank to question the people the suspect had recruited on behalf of Hamas.
Last week the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled to keep Hamas on the EU terror organization blacklist following a lower court ruling three years ago that called for the group to be removed.
World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder welcomed the decision uphold the European Union’s listing of Hamas as a terrorist organization, and called on the EU do to everything in its power to prevent European entities from engaging in business or showing any other form of support with it.
“In upholding the decision to keep Hamas on the EU’s terror list, the European Court of Justice has taken an important step in the war against international terror.
“It has long been known that Hamas is a terrorist organization, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israelis, and that its motivating goal is to seek to seek the destruction of the State of Israel and its citizens.
“In Europe, there are far too many organizations, some deeming themselves charities, that have been aiding Hamas over the years by engaging in business or raising funds to support this terror. It is imperative that the European Union do everything in its legal power to crack down on any signs on its soil of collaboration with this terrorist group.”