A couple who lived as illegal settlers in Palestine’s occupied West Bank opened a “community hub” as a “safe space for Israelis” in Dublin earlier this year.
The couple – who lived in the Bat Ayin settlement, deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice – have established similar centres across Europe “with generous funding and influence from Israel's government” according to Haaretz.
Chairperson of the Israeli Community Europe (ICE) Tehila Darmon and CEO Netanel Darmon say their centres aren’t informed by their religious beliefs or any political agenda – despite being partnered with the World Zionist Organization, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Israeli Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.
Bat Ayin: an illegal Israeli settlement
Tehila and Netanel Darmon, having lived in illegal Israeli settlement Bat Ayin, moved to Berlin in 2017 and began establishing a network of community centres across Europe.
These Israeli Community Europe centres were funded by a combination of Israeli government grants and money from private donors including South African online gambling magnate Anthony Moshal.
Their Dublin ICE centre is a space allowing Israelis to “be Jews and proud Israelis”, according to its website. It began operating in January, following “the growing increase in antisemitism and anti-Zionist incidents in the city” and company filings indicate the centre is based in Dublin 7.
Netanel Darmon is originally from Ma'on, an illegal settlement in the south Hebron Hills, while his wife Tehila is originally from Beit Shemesh, a city west of Jerusalem.
Earlier this year, Haaretz reported that in 2012 Netanel Darmon's vehicle was determined by Israeli authorities to have been used in a "price tag" revenge attack on a Palestinian village. Police discovered various weapons and implements in the car including rocks, a Molotov cocktail and knives.
When questioned by authorities, Darmon explained it was a communal vehicle for settlement residents and was regularly left unlocked with keys available, the newspaper said, adding that he cooperated testified against the three settlers charged in the incident.
The Dublin ICE centre opened in January, with its website stating,” Like our other centers, Israelis will enjoy Friday meals, holiday meals, memorial days, as well as a host of cultural meetings, performances, workshops, and more.”
ICE operates similar centres under different names in other European cities.
Before moving to Berlin the Darmons lived in Bat Ayin, an Hasidic community founded in 1989 and located between Jerusalem and Hebron.
The International Court of Justice ruled in July that Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territories – the Gaza strip and the West Bank including East Jerusalem – and must dismantle its settlements, including Bat Ayin.
The Darmons and ICE Europe have been contacted for comment.
