Moroccan-Dutch imam Youssef Msibih was suspended from his position at Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar after joining a controversial delegation of European Muslim leaders who met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem. The visit sparked strong backlash from Muslim clerics in the Netherlands, who denounced it as a betrayal of Islamic values amid Israel's war in Gaza. Moroccan-Dutch imam Youssef Msibih has made headlines this week following a controversial visit to Israel. Msibih, who had been serving at the Bilal Mosque in Alkmaar, Netherlands, was suspended from his duties after joining a delegation of European Muslim leaders that met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem on July 7. The visit was organized by the European Leadership Network (ELNET), an NGO «dedicated to strengthening Europe-Israel relations». The Bilal Mosque responded swiftly, announcing on Instagram that its board had suspended Msibih «with immediate effect». In a follow-up statement published on its website, the mosque clarified: «There is no place for the imam within the mosque. The board bears no responsibility for his statements or actions outside the mosque. There is no longer any formal or substantive relationship between him and the Bilal Alkmaar Mosque». The statement stressed that Msibih acted «in a personal capacity and completely separate from the vision of the mosque and its community», adding: «There is no room for troublemakers or division». Received by the Israeli President Photos and video footage shared by the Israeli President's official X (formerly Twitter) account show Msibih dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, singing a reinterpreted version of the Israeli national anthem in Arabic during the meeting. The delegation included 15 Muslim religious figures from across Europe—France, Italy, Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands. Their itinerary featured visits to the Knesset, religious sites in East Jerusalem, and meetings with Israeli military officials and survivors of attacks. They are also scheduled to visit Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial, and the site of an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv. President Isaac Herzog welcomed the group by underscoring the importance of Jewish-Muslim dialogue, framing the visit as a symbol of progress against «radical forces». "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 Another Moroccan imam The group was led by Hassen Chalghoumi, a polarizing imam from Drancy, France, known for his pro-Israel stance. Other members included Noor Dahri, a UK-based counterterrorism commentator affiliated with the Henry Jackson Society, and Ali El Aarja, an imam of Moroccan descent based in Turin, Italy. Speaking to the Times of Israel, El Aarja, who heads the newly formed Italian Islamic Confederation (CIIN), said that «Morocco is a country open to all religions: Muslims, Christians, and Jews live together. We are here to send a message of peace—for our Palestinian brothers and our Jewish brothers. We do not want war; we hope we can return to dialogue». The Times of Israel also noted that Youssef Msibih has served as a religious leader in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Norway for nearly 20 years. According to a biography shared by ELNET, Msibih pursued Islamic studies at Al-Azhar University in Egypt before continuing his training at the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams and Mourchidines in Rabat, Morocco. A visit denounced in the Netherlands and Morocco The visit triggered strong backlash from Muslim clerics in the Netherlands. On July 7, the Initiative of Imams and Preachers in the Netherlands issued a scathing condemnation, calling the trip a «morally reprehensible act» that violates the principles of Islam and human dignity. The body accused the delegation of helping the «Zionist occupation regime» whitewash its image «tainted with the blood of innocent men, women, and children». Meanwhile in Morocco, The Moroccan Observatory Against Normalization condemned the visit as a «beyond-normalization crime», calling it a betrayal of religion and human values amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. In a statement, shared Tuesday on Facebook, the group denounced the delegation's members «do not represent European imams».
