The story begins many years ago: why Israel banned UNRWA

Ramzi Baroud

Israel’s ban on UNRWA should provide an opportunity for those concerned about the reputation of the United Nations to remind Israel that UN members who do not respect international law deserve to be delegitimized.

October 28 Israeli Knesset past second reading of two bills that would effectively ban the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) from carrying out “any activity” in Israel and Occupied Palestine.

Simply put, this decision is disastrous because UNRWA is the primary international body responsible for the well-being of millions of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and much of the region.

Israel followed its decision by attacking and damaging UNRWA office in Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. This was the Israeli government’s way of demonstrating its seriousness on the issue.

This is not the first time Israel has pursued an anti-UNRWA agenda and, contrary to statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, this decision is not related to the current genocidal war in the Gaza Strip or to unsubstantiated claims that UNRWA supports “terrorism”.

Independent review commissioned by the UN disclosed that Israel “has made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA personnel are members of terrorist organizations” but that it has “not yet provided supporting evidence of this.”

However, Israel’s claims caused great damage to the organization, as 13 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany and Italy, held desperately needed funds to help Gaza stave off a devastating famine.

Ultimately, most of these countries restored their financial support, although they did not apologize to the Palestinians who were negatively affected by these countries’ initial unjust decision.

Unrepentant, Israel continued to wage a merciless war against this organization. “UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable,” Netanyahu said. said in a statement dated October 28.

Anti-UNRWA rhetoric remains functional for Israel. Supported by a constant American media, Israel has managed to keep UNRWA’s name in the news, always associating it with “supporting terrorism.” So when the Israeli Knesset voted in favor of bills targeting UNRWA, the mainstream media reported the news as if it were the only rational conclusion to the essentially fabricated story.

Israel’s problem with UNRWA has less to do with the organization itself and more to do with its primary political representation as a UN entity whose mission is to predicate on providing “assistance and protection to Palestinian refugees.”

UNRWA was established in 1949 by resolution 302 (IV) of the UN General Assembly. This started began on May 1, 1950, and over time it has come to play a central role in the survival of large numbers of Palestinian refugee communities in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.

Many have rightly criticized the UN for failing to complement UNRWA’s humanitarian mandate with a political equivalent that would ultimately help Palestinians realize their right of return under UN Resolution 194. For Israel, however, UNRWA remained problematic.

According to Tel Aviv, the existence of UNRWA is a constant reminder that there is a special group of people called Palestinian refugees. Although UNRWA is not a political organization, the Palestinian refugee crisis and all related UN resolutions that emphasize ‘integral’ the rights of these refugees are highly politicized.

Taking advantage of initial, albeit short-lived, sympathy for Israel around the world, as well as a massive disinformation campaign emanating from Israel and its allies, Netanyahu used October 7 as an opportunity to further demonize UNRWA. However, his campaign began much earlier.

A key player in the war against UNRWA was Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump. Kushner, who has spent much of his time helping Israel defeat the Palestinians once and for all, has made UNRWA a key part of his plan. He promised to make “sincere efforts to undermine” the organization’s work, the leaked email said. disclosed.

Due to international rejection and solidarity, Kushner ultimately failed. Even retention US administration funds did not force the organization to close, although they had a negative impact on the lives of millions of Palestinians.

The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and the push to annex large parts of the West Bank have provided an excellent opportunity for Netanyahu and his extremist government to increase pressure on UNRWA. They were made possible by the unconditional support of the United States and the willingness of various Western governments to act recklessly in accordance with Israeli demands. false statements regarding the UN organization.

By allowing Israel to delegitimize the very organization responsible for upholding international law, the UN’s crisis becomes much deeper.

The impassioned appeal made on October 30 by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reflects the frustration felt by many UN officials about the UN’s growing irrelevance.

In her speech, Albanese noted that if the UN’s failures continue, its influence will become “increasingly irrelevant to the rest of the world,” especially in these troubled times.

This irrelevance is already felt by millions of Palestinians, mainly in Gaza but also in the West Bank. While Palestinians continue to resist, reject and resist Israeli aggression, they are fed up with an international system that seems to offer them only words and little action.

Israel’s ban on UNRWA should provide an opportunity for those concerned about the reputation of the United Nations to remind Israel that UN members who do not respect international law deserve to be delegitimized. This time words must be accompanied by actions. Nothing else will be enough.

– Dr. Ramzi Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, written jointly with Ilan Pappe, is called “Our vision of liberation: Concerned Palestinian leaders and intellectuals speak out.” His other books include My Father Was a Freedom Fighter and The Last Earth. Baroud is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website www.ramzybaroud.net