WHAT HAPPENED: This week, lawmakers at Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, voted overwhelmingly to pass two measures limiting UNRWA’s operations. One law bans the agency from operating within Israeli territory, while another restricts UNRWA activities in Gaza and the West Bank by prohibiting contact between Israeli authorities and the agency. Both measures will become effective in 90 days.
WHY THIS MOVE: UNRWA is the UN agency for Palestinian refugees [full name: UN Relief & Works Agency]. It was created in 1949 to aid Arab refugees from Israel’s war of independence. But, over the years, “it has enlisted in a Palestinian battle to eventually end Israel’s character as a Jewish state.” Recently, it has been found heavily infiltrated by Hamas after the October 7 attack. For example, on Oct. 1, 2024, UNRWA employee Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. He turned out to be a Hamas commander in that country [UNRWA was embarrassed; said it did not know]. This week, Israel’s UN envoy surprised the UN with fresh information: “Today, I will bring news to the Security Council, and we will share the story of Mohammad Abu Itiwi, an UNRWA employee since July 2022 who also served as a commander in Hamas’ brutal Nukhba forces. He himself personally participated and murdered, raped, and abducted Israelis. While Mohammad Abu Itiwi was collecting UN-funded paychecks, he was murdering and kidnapping Israeli civilians.”
SECURITY COUNCIL PILES PRESSURE ON ISRAEL. This week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) saw several states and UN officials lining up to criticize the Israeli action on UNRWA [see the full session here and here]. While, separately, the anti-Israel case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) continues to strain Israel-UN ties.
A WIDER ISRAEL-UN SHOWDOWN IS DEVELOPING mainly because the United Nations will not address Israeli concerns on Hamas infiltration of UNRWA and will not consider Israeli request to temporarily reposition UN peacekeepers in Lebanon as Israel neutralizes Hezbollah. Israel says the terror group tries to hide behind or near the UN force [known as UNIFIL] positions, effectively using the peacekeepers as human shields.
AN OVERVIEW OF TENSIONS:
— The U.S Urges The United Nations To Understand Israeli Concerns: The U.S. envoy to the UN, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, reminded UNSC member states yesterday that “so many on this Council have not” yet condemned Hamas for its infiltration of UNRWA. She urged dialogue to end the impasse: “Instead of speaking at one another, Israel and the UN must speak to one another,” she said, “to address the fears that led to the Knesset legislation and to ensure that UNRWA can fulfill its critical mandate.” [Read her remarks]
— Proofs On UNRWA Infiltration: In the Council yesterday, the Israeli envoy to the UN Danny Danon flashed an image from a CCTV camera to UNSC members that showed an UNRWA employee abducting the body of Jonathan Samerano, a young Israeli man killed on Oct. 7, 2023, and taking it to Gaza. Amb. Danon did his homework and summarized Israel’s case on UNRWA:
“For over a year, we have exposed UNRWA-Gaza as a terrorist front posing as a humanitarian agency. The scandals tied to UNRWA-Gaza are staggering, almost countless … Months ago, we revealed that over 100 UNRWA employees were Hamas operatives, providing their names and Hamas IDs to the UN. Yet no action was taken. More recently, we exposed an UNRWA clinic in Gaza which was being used as a weapons depot and launch site. At the same time, the head of UNRWA’s teacher’s union in Lebanon was also a Hamas commander.”
— Ignoring Israeli Concerns: Amb. Danon complained to UNSC members about “the total disregard of the UN Secretary-General and some members of the Security Council regarding the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7th massacre.” [Watch his clip]
— Arab-Israeli Diplomat Joins UNRWA Criticism. George Deek, a Palestinian by heritage, offered a great argument for why UNRWA should be closed. He is Israel’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan. He shared his family’s case from 1949: those members of his family who are not under UNRWA’s mandate are doing well in Israel and in other countries, and those Palestinian members of his family registered with UNRWA face problems. He concludes in a public post: “Ending UNRWA is not a dismissal of history; it’s an invitation to a future. Without the weight of perpetual victimhood, Palestinians would be free to shape lives filled with opportunity and ambition. By closing UNRWA, we can replace a cycle of dependency with the chance for Palestinians to build a future of lasting hope and resilience.”
— Israel Will Still Ensure Gaza Aid Delivery. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel was prepared to work with international partners, both in the 90 days before the legislation takes effect and afterward, to ensure that humanitarian aid would still reach Gazan civilians.
— UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ sharp criticism of Israel on UNRWA, including a statement he made condemning the elimination of a Hamas terrorist found employed by the UN agency, and the top UN official’s refusal to consider an Israeli request on UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, led Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to declare Mr. Guterres Persona non Grata. Separately, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk said that Israel’s decision on UNRWA “is deeply troubling.”
— The Palestinian Push To Suspend Israel At The UN Is Heightening Tensions. Though not a full UN member, the Palestinian Authority’s representative, Amb. Riyad Mansour, recently suggested altering Israel’s membership status. In response, Israeli Amb. Danon reminded the UN that Palestinian leaders rejected the 1948 UN Partition Plan and chose war, unlike Israel, which accepted the plan.
— 105 U.S. Lawmakers Warn U.N Against Downgrading Israel’s Status. The bipartisan House members sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres last week warning against a potential downgrade of Israel’s status in the UN General Assembly. This is significant because the United States is the largest financial contributor to the UN budget. [See report]
Discover six in-depth reports from the American Jewish Congress offering insights into UNRWA’s issues over the past year. Do not miss these critical insights—click this link.
