Transcript
UNRWA is the problem, not the solution. It hasn’t resettled a single person since 1948, whereas the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, which deals with everybody else, with fewer personnel, and far less funding, has resettled 50 million people. UNRWA’s mission is not to help people but to perpetuate a political conflict. UNRWA keeps the so-called refugees in a state of misery until they can return to Israeli territory. That would mean the destruction of Israel and the obliteration of its 7 million Jews.
The only way to resettle refugees and bring peace is to abolish UNRWA and transfer its functions to the UNHCR. Albeit that the iniquitous effects it has created will unfortunately last. That is, UNRWA has poisoned the mind of future generations in the way it has taught Palestinian children to hate, to believe lies about Israel. It’s given make-believe employment to thousands of Palestinians. It continues the myth that there are millions of Palestinian refugees who are, in fact, not Palestinian and not refugees. And it is a bottomless pit into which countries pour money, not only with no return but money that has been used to murder and take hostages and starve ordinary Palestinians of the necessities of life. It is noteworthy that the rich Arab countries that surround Israel do not reach out to support their Palestinian brethren.
The major donors to UNRWA are the US, followed by Germany, and then the UK. In 2022, the UK donated $21 million. Last year, the UK gave £60 million and another £16 million, even after 7th October. It has paused funding temporarily but given funds to other bodies working in Gaza. Where has the money gone? Now we know, thanks to the investigative work of journalist John Ware, that the money has gone directly to Hamas to build tunnels, secure armaments, and keep Hamas leaders in luxury. The ordinary poverty-stricken Palestinian has seen none of it, and the states who give money are curiously reluctant to follow through to see where their dollars are going.
UNRWA has no financial control, no audit, it has mismanagement, sexual misconduct, and nepotism. Its construction works are a protectionist racket. Support for UNRWA contradicts the UK’s policy of a peaceful two-state resolution.
UNRWA employees were undoubtedly involved in the horrific attacks on Israel on the 7th of October. Some were members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. At least another 1,000 employees have ties with Hamas. Even more of them have praised the 7th of October attacks, expressed antisemitism, and praised terrorism. Their teachers teach children to glorify violence against Israel and to deny Israel’s legitimacy. UNRWA teachers call for the murder of Jews and martyrdom. They call for the right of return into Israel itself by violence. All this has been known for years, and nothing has been done. It is all entirely contrary, of course, to the UN’s alleged values of human rights and non-discrimination, although, of course, now the UN itself is equally guilty of breach of those values in its hounding of Israel as opposed to the terrible situations occurring in other countries.
What should be done? UNRWA should not be involved in teaching or paramilitary training in schools. All employees with links to Hamas should be fired. Donor funds should be audited to ensure that cash does not flow to Gaza-based terror groups. It should advance the settlement of so-called Palestinians in the countries in which they live instead of preaching the right of return. The millions who live in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and elsewhere should have citizenship and full rights in those countries, as would be the case for refugees in any other country of refuge. They are not refugees, in any case, being neither born nor driven out of the land of their birth.
If Palestinians are classified as refugees because a remote ancestor once lived in what is now Israel, then half the world would be refugees. I would be Polish, for a start, the last thing I would want. It is the continued existence of UNRWA that fuels terrorism, twists the mind of future generations, and perpetuates the refugee illusion rather than putting an end to it.
The remains of UNRWA should be folded into the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This latter body serves all other refugees with a budget of about $9 million dollars, whereas the UNRWA budget is $1.2 billion dollars. UNRWA has about a thousand dollars for every refugee, as contrasted with one dollar for the others.
No more money at all should be channeled to UNRWA or the other NGOs under its sway in Gaza. Those bodies supply evidence of dubious quality to back up charges at the International Court of Justice against Israel.
The end of UNRWA would be the beginning of peace.
