By Joseph Marshall
A senior Hamas figure who was released earlier this year in a prisoner exchange has appeared as a featured speaker in an online event promoted by activists in Canada and the United States. Othman Bilal, who was serving multiple life sentences in Israel for his involvement in a series of deadly bombings that killed and wounded civilians, took part in a virtual seminar titled Intifada of Stones. The event was circulated widely by networks linked to North American supporters of the Palestinian cause and included promotional material that highlighted Bilal alongside Khaled Barakat, a PFLP operative who has been identified by Canadian security agencies as a member of the leadership of the group.
Bilal is described in Israeli reporting as a senior member of the Hamas military wing in Nablus. He was sentenced to twenty seven life terms for his role in several attacks carried out by the organization during the period of suicide bombings and bus explosions. Palestinian sources that support terrorist groups have long portrayed him as an important figure in the movement and celebrated his release in the most recent prisoner exchange that took place in February. His participation in the online seminar was promoted by Masar Badil and its youth network Tariq el Tahrir. Both groups operate across Europe and North America and regularly share platforms with individuals connected to Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the PFLP and other armed groups.
The Canadian focus comes from the fact that the promotional material for the webinar was distributed by accounts based in Canada and by activists linked to organizations that have held rallies and teach ins in cities across the country. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has already sounded the alarm, noting that a man convicted of multiple lethal attacks was being presented as an authority on the First Intifada. CIJA pointed to the twenty seven life sentences handed down to Bilal and raised concerns about the decision to showcase him in an event with a significant Canadian audience. CIJA also noted that Barakat, another advertised speaker, is tied to a group that appears on the list of Canadian terrorist organizations.
While the webinar promoted itself as a discussion of historical memory and popular resistance, the inclusion of speakers with direct records of involvement in armed violence is drawing attention among counter extremism experts who warn that the lines between political advocacy and the public promotion of designated groups are being deliberately blurred. Masar Badil has positioned itself as an international revolutionary framework that rejects any negotiated process with Israel. Its literature joins celebrations of freed terrorists with calls for continued confrontation, and it has held joint events with groups that endorse the armed campaigns of Hamas and the PFLP.
For Canadian Jewish leaders, the appearance of Bilal in a virtual program promoted in Canada raises concerns about the growing willingness of activist networks to mainstream men responsible for attacks that targeted civilians. It also highlights a broader challenge as individuals with documented roles in violent organizations are now joining events that reach audiences across North America with little transparency about the nature of these programs or the status of the speakers who appear in them.
