Dyab Abou Jahjah’s Parents Speak: We Knew What He Was Doing
In a rare and deeply personal interview, the elderly parents of Dyab Abou Jahjah — one of Belgium’s most polarizing activists — have spoken publicly for the first time in decades, revealing that they were fully aware of and supportive of their son’s activities in Belgium. The interview, conducted by journalist Montasser AlDe’Emeh and published simultaneously by De Morgen and Humo, also reveals that the family home in southern Lebanon was destroyed by Israeli forces in early March 2026 — the third time it has been leveled in five decades.
Context
Nanette Younes (82), a retired Maronite Christian primary school teacher, and Khalil Abou Jahjah (79), a Shia Muslim former university professor with two doctorates in Arabic literature, are a rare Christian-Muslim couple from the southern Lebanese village of Hanin. Their marriage itself was a quiet act of defiance in Lebanon’s deeply sectarian society. “My family couldn’t imagine that I would marry a Muslim,” Nanette told De Morgen. “Many people also thought we would divorce after a month.”
Their son, Dyab Abou Jahjah (54), is a Lebanese-Belgian activist who founded the Arab European League (AEL) in 2000 and co-founded the Hind Rajab Foundation in 2024, an organization that uses international law to pursue war crimes cases against Israeli soldiers. He has been called “Belgium’s Malcolm X” by The Guardian, but also faces accusations of extremism and antisemitism.
Key Developments
According to the interview, the parents’ home in Hanin — a village located just four to five kilometers from the Israeli border — was destroyed in early March 2026. The parents believe this was a deliberate act of retaliation by the Israeli military targeting them because of their son’s activism. “Everyone knew that the destruction of our house was an act of revenge,” they told Humo. “Our lives were in danger in Lebanon. Israel targeted us, because of Dyab.”
This is not the first time the family has lost their home. It was previously destroyed by Israeli forces in 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War, and again in 1982 during the Israeli invasion. After Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, the family returned and rebuilt. Dyab’s personal essay from November 2025, published on his blog, describes the home as a symbol of resilience: “This house is more than just stones and walls — it is a symbol, a commitment. It stands as a testament to our dignity and our refusal to surrender.”
Following the latest destruction, the parents fled to Brussels, where they now reside. Khalil described the emotional toll: “There is nothing worse than being so humiliated: having to leave your village and watch from a distance as it is destroyed, while the international community looks on.”
When asked whether they followed their son’s work in Belgium, Khalil responded unequivocally: “We knew what he was doing. And who can object to the fight against racism, for young people with a migrant background? He stood up for the Palestinian cause. That has never changed.”
Analysis
The interview offers an intimate portrait of a family shaped by decades of conflict. Dyab Abou Jahjah remains a deeply polarizing figure in Belgium. To his supporters, he is a courageous human rights activist; to his critics — including many in the Belgian Jewish community and right-wing political parties — he is an extremist with ties to Hezbollah. This interview adds a deeply personal dimension that humanizes a figure often reduced to political caricature.
The parents’ claim that Israel deliberately targeted their home because of Dyab’s activism is consistent with a broader pattern of threats. In January 2025, Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli posted a message to Dyab on social media saying “Watch your pager” — widely interpreted as a reference to the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks. The Hind Rajab Foundation has previously issued statements about “serious and imminent security threats” against its chairman.
As Wikipedia notes, Dyab was banned from entering the United Kingdom in 2009 and has been the subject of sustained controversy throughout his career. Yet his parents remain unwavering in their support. “As a father, I am afraid, but at the same time I am proud of him,” Khalil said. “Dyab continues the tradition of our village.”
What’s Next
The parents now live in Brussels, adjusting to a new life far from the village they called home for decades. Khalil expressed hope for the future: “We will eventually return to our village, with our heads held high. My dream is that my children and grandchildren can live there. But hopefully it won’t take a quarter of a century this time.”
As the Hind Rajab Foundation continues its legal efforts to prosecute Israeli soldiers abroad, and as the broader conflict in the Middle East shows no signs of abating, the personal story of Nanette and Khalil Abou Jahjah serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost — and the generational resilience — that lies behind the headlines.