Israel has had enough of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, otherwise known as UNRWA.
Israel gave 48 hours’ notice that it will officially end its corporation with the UN-affiliated entity after Israel’s UN Ambassador accused UNRWA of being involved with various acts of terrorism and of having its ranks infiltrated by Hamas.
‘I hereby inform the United Nations and the Security Council that the legislation concerning UNRWA’s activities in Israel will officially come into force in 48 hours, on January 30. In accordance with applicable Israeli law, and following the termination of this provisional agreement, UNRWA must cease its operations and evacuate all premises it operates in Jerusalem … the legislation forbids UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and forbids any contact between Israeli officials and UNRWA. Furthermore, UNRWA will be prohibited from maintaining any representative, office, service, or activity within our territory. Israel will terminate all collaboration, communication, and contact with UNRWA or anyone acting on its behalf.
‘Colleagues, this decision reflects years of effort to address the grave accusations raised against UNRWA. This decision also reflects the reality of the situation that UNRWA has miserably failed in its mandate and it has failed the people who were supposed to benefit from its services.
‘This decision was not made lightly, nor was it made quickly. It was not a political decision. It was simply a necessary one. It follows decades of betrayal by an agency that has placed political agendas, neglect, and cover-ups over humanitarian principles. More precisely, this decision was driven by UNRWA’s constant refusal to address the widespread infiltration of its ranks by Hamas and other terrorist organisations.
‘It is intolerable for any sovereign state to facilitate the operations of an agency that threatens its national security and blatantly violates its laws. Israel remains committed to its obligations under international law and we reaffirm our readiness to cooperate with other UN agencies that are untainted by terror and committed to neutrality and accountability.’
UNRWA, an organisation that has no real defence to the enormous volume of complaints issued against it over the years, has issued a panicked statement.
‘The relentless assault on UNRWA is harming the lives and future of Palestinians across the occupied Palestine territory,’ it moaned.
‘The Knesset legislation imposes massive constraints on UNRWA’s operations. We are determined, however, to stay and deliver until it is no longer possible to do so. UNRWA Commissioner-General briefed the UN Security Council asking for decisive intervention in support of peace and stability in the occupied Palestinian territory and region. Anti-UNRWA propaganda sets a precedent for governments to accuse a United Nations entity of terrorism as a pretext to clamp down on human rights. It sets a precedent for criminalising humanitarian assistance and protection.’
However, if the accusations about UNRWA’s involvement with Hamas and other terror groups are correct, it is not only right that Israel withdraws support, but critical that all Western nations withdraw funding immediately, including Australia.
In this, UNRWA has only itself to blame for decades of failure and underhanded behaviour.
America has thrown its support behind calls for a probe into the fresh allegations that UNRWA sites were used by Hamas to hold hostages. This is in addition to the very serious claim that UNRWA employees were involved in the horrific terror attack and slaughter on October 7, 2023. A UN investigation upholds this allegation and subsequently some UNRWA employees were sacked.
US representative to the UN Dorothy Shea said, ‘UNRWA is not, and never has been, the only option [for aid].’
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has been dreadful on this topic. We know enough about what UNRWA has been doing to determine that it is not worth a single Australian taxpayer cent.
The suspicion of terror links should be enough, and yet the Labor Party appear to be concerned about losing seats to those in their electorates who champion the Palestinian cause over Australia. These are the same activists who fill the streets of our capital cities and shout ‘death to Australia’ on Australia Day while wearing the Palestinian kerchief.
The last official statement from Penny Wong, made jointly with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on January 16, read: ‘We urge all parties to respect its terms [of the hostage deal] and safeguard a lasting peace, including ensuring the immediate release of all hostages and unimpeded and sustained increases in humanitarian assistance to all parts of Gaza.’
Has Penny Wong asked Australians if they want their money going to Gaza? After all, it is a place where Australian women or members of the LGBTQ movement could not walk down the road without being kidnapped, attacked, or killed. There is no love for Australia from the people of Gaza so why are we pouring money into the region when Australians are experiencing a financial crisis at home? The collective Left are always going on about the evils of the patriarchy and how we have to tear down colonialism because of historic sins, so why are they so keen to spend fortunes into an ideology and political movement that commits more sins on a daily basis than the whole of Australian history?
Isn’t it time we told our politicians that we don’t want our money wasted on parts of the world that reject our Western values and standards?
