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The Bilal Mosque Foundation has suspended Imam Youssef Msabih from his duties and announced legal action against him following his visit to Israel, citing damage caused to the mosque and its reputation.
Youssef Msibih, a Moroccan-born imam at Bilal Mosque in the northern Dutch city of Alkmaar, was among a group of 15 Muslim preachers who met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on Monday.
The delegation met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog to discuss interfaith coexistence. Herzog praised the group for seeking to “build bridges, dialogue, and faith.”
The decision was made after meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog and singing a reinterpreted version of the Israeli anthem in Arabic, set to a Middle Eastern melody.
Bilal Mosque announced on Tuesday morning that Masbeh had been suspended “with immediate effect.”
“Following recent political statements by the imam, the board has decided to suspend him with immediate effect,” the mosque said in a statement posted on its Instagram. “As of this moment, the institution has no relationship with him.”
The board also called on the community to remain united and peaceful, urging believers to focus on respect, solidarity, and tolerance.
"The mosque and its community must be kept out of this matter," the statement added, warning against pressure on board members, volunteers, or mosque attendees.
The board also called on the community to remain united and peaceful, urging believers to focus on respect, solidarity, and tolerance.
"The mosque and its community must be kept out of this matter," the statement added, warning against pressure on board members, volunteers, or mosque attendees.
The meeting was organized by ELNET, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that promotes ties between Europe and Israel.
The delegation of European imams was led by French imam Hassen Chalghoumi, known for his opposition to Hamas’s attacks on Israel.
Chalghoumi, imam of the Drancy mosque in suburban Paris, is known for his ties to Israeli groups and visited the occupied West Bank in 2019 at the invitation of settlers.
“What we have witnessed since Oct. 7 is not merely a conflict between Israel and Hamas, nor between Israel and Hezbollah—the so-called ‘Party of Satan,’” Chalghoumi told Herzog.
Chalghoumi was not the only controversial figure in the delegation. Among the delegation was Noor Dahri, founder of the U.K.-based organization Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism.
Dahri is a frequent contributor to the Times of Israel and is affiliated with the right-wing think tank, the Henry Jackson Society.
During the visit, Dahri shared images on the social media platform X, showcasing the delegation’s stops at key religious and political landmarks, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall.
Another delegate was Ali El-Darja, a Moroccan-Italian based in Turin, Italy.
El-Darja expressed deep personal significance regarding the visit. “I already did my pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia, and I was waiting to come to Jerusalem,” he told the Times of Israel.
Bilal Mosque’s decision came amid growing controversy over the visit, particularly in light of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
The suspension of the Dutch imam was not the only response.
Dr. Ali al-Qaradaghi, Secretary-General of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, commented on X, stating, “A visit by a delegation of sheikhs to the occupying entity does not condemn the scholars themselves but rather condemns those who organized it and exposes their submission.”
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