A Dutch imam has been suspended from his mosque after visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog as part of a European delegation of Muslim leaders.
Youssef Msibih, imam of the Moroccan Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, was among 15 preachers who traveled to Jerusalem on Monday to meet Herzog, an event that included singing an Arabic version of the Israeli national anthem.
The Bilal Mosque announced on Tuesday that Msibih had been suspended “effective immediately” and declared that it had “no relationship with him” at present. The mosque explained that it had no prior knowledge of the visit and publicly distanced itself from Msibih’s participation.
In a statement posted to Instagram, cited by De Telegraaf, the mosque condemned the imam’s decision to take part, saying, “His choice to allow himself to be used for normalization with a regime that sheds Palestinian blood daily is not only misguided — it is a moral disgrace. While children are being pulled from the rubble, he chooses to join a propaganda campaign.”
The visit was organized by ELNET, the European Leadership Network, which aims to strengthen ties between Europe and Israel. During their trip, the group visited Israel’s parliament, the Old City of Jerusalem, and planned stops at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and other sites, including areas struck by Iranian missile attacks and Hezbollah rockets.
President Herzog praised the visit, calling the delegates “children of Abraham” and describing their presence as courageous. He said, “By your visit and your courageous action, you embody the majority of those in the Middle East and throughout the world who aspire to a common life.”
“You represent the world of brotherhood, humanity, and liberty”. The words of Imam Hassen Chalghoumi from France to me today.
I was moved and inspired to meet him and a delegation led by @elnet_global of Imams and Muslim community leaders from across Europe. They stand bravely… pic.twitter.com/gpJja2tQne
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 7, 2025
French Imam Hassen Chalghoumi, who led the delegation, has been a prominent critic of Hamas and Islamist extremism. He told Herzog, “What we’ve seen since Oct. 7 is not just a conflict between Israel and Hamas, nor between Israel and Hezbollah — the ‘Party of Satan.’ It’s a confrontation between two fundamentally different worlds. You represent the world of brotherhood, of humanity, of compassion. You stand for the values of democracy and freedom.”
Chalghoumi has repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism and defended the visit, arguing that Muslims and Jews must work together for peace. He previously took part in demonstrations in France opposing Hamas and Islamist radicalism.
“In these difficult times, we affirm our friendship, our Jewish-Muslim brotherhood. Against hatred, we choose dialogue, peace, and living together,” he said last month during a meeting with the leader of his local synagogue in Créteil.
Herzog praised the group’s stance, saying, “In these difficult times of tension between Jews and Muslims, some choose to act differently.”
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