Israel and the free world must declare UNRWA a terrorist organization

The Knesset (Israeli parliament) approved on Monday two bills aimed at halting the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel, because some of its members have been accused of participating in the Oct. 7 massacre. However, both proposals must still have the approval of the Israeli Supreme Court before they can be implemented.

One of these bills, which passed by an overwhelming majority of 92 votes in favor and only 10 against, states that UNRWA will not be allowed to operate any representation, provide any services or carry out any activities, directly or indirectly, in the sovereign territory of the State of Israel, per Israeli news portal Ynet.

The Israeli media outlet added that this would halt the agency's operations in East Jerusalem, a territory that the Palestinians claim as the capital for a future state, and the functions performed by UNRWA in the area would fall under the responsibility of Israeli authorities.

The second bill, approved by 87 votes in favor and nine against, establishes that Israel will sever all ties with UNRWA, ergo the authorities will not cooperate with this agency and will not grant it the exemptions it has enjoyed until now.

Palestinians: 'Eternal refugees'

It should be noted that the U.N. has two refugee agencies: one for the Palestinians (UNRWA) and the other for the rest, called the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). This is a curious situation, since in history there have been and still are conflicts of equal or greater severity than between Israel and Palestine, with tens of thousands or even millions of refugees.

In this regard, it should also be noted that, under the UNRWA mandate, Palestinians are the only ones who pass down their "refugee" status as an inheritance. That is, American billionaire model Bella Hadid, daughter of Palestinian tycoon Mohammed Hadid, is a refugee. All very normal.

Palestinians are not only the only group in the world who have the privilege of being "eternal refugees," but their problems began when the Arabs living in the area (turned into "Palestinians" from the 1960s onward) together with the armies of several countries in the region attempted to carry out genocide against the Jews in 1948, following the declaration of the independence of the State of Israel.

It is also necessary to clarify that UNRWA is an agency funded mainly by contributions from various countries of the world; it is not a private organization, and it is also hostile to the Jewish state. Some of its members have links with terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad and even, as mentioned, are suspected of having participated in the Oct. 7 massacre.

UNRWA and antisemitic indoctrination

But this is not all. UNRWA has also been under fire for anti-Jewish indoctrination of children in its schools in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which was confirmed by Dor Shahar, a Gazan who converted to Judaism and moved to Israel, in statements to VOZ.

Shahar recounted that during his childhood in a UNRWA school, a man once entered the classroom to indoctrinate them. "He told us that he was going to teach us a special class ... and he started saying that Jews are murderers ... that they had stolen our grandparents' lands, that all of Israel is Palestine, that we must shed our blood to get our lands back, that Jews were Muslims and became infidels, that they have three legs, and that the most important commandment is to kill a Jew," he recounted.

'UNRWA is equal to Hamas'

Turning to the bills passed, the statement by M.P. Boaz Bismut, of Likud, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is noteworthy. "It is a call for justice, a wake-up call that draws a clear red line: anyone who dares to aid terrorism and acts like a terrorist has no right to exist in the State of Israel, now or in the future. UNRWA is equal to Hamas, period," he said.

Likud parliamentarian and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Yuli Edelstein argued at the start of the Knesset debate that there is evidence of collaboration between U.N. members and Palestinian terrorists.

"In the committee's deliberations on the law, a video was presented showing the involvement of UNRWA members in the kidnapping of a corpse to the Gaza Strip and other evidence of their collaboration with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. In addition, it was proven that whoever commanded the massacre at the Re'im shelter (a kibbutz attacked on Oct. 7), where 16 Israelis were killed and from where four kidnapped people were taken to Gaza, was an UNRWA terrorist," said Edelstein, to clear up any doubts about the true nature of the agency.

Reactions to the Knesset decision in Israel and around the world

The U.S. government criticized the passage of the bills in the Knesset, praising the terror-linked U.N. agency. Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, argued that the Biden-Harris administration has made it clear to Israel that it is very concerned about the situation since, he said, UNRWA plays an essential role in providing humanitarian aid. It was a deplorable statement that defended terrorism.

Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, stated on X that "UNRWA workers involved in terrorist activities against Israel must be held accountable. As it is also essential to avoid a humanitarian crisis, sustained humanitarian aid must continue to be available in Gaza now and in the future."

The most "comical" comment was made by Philippe Lazzarini, secretary-general of UNRWA, who said on X that the passage of the bills represents a "dangerous precedent." He added that it is a campaign to discredit the agency. Apparently, UNRWA was not discredited enough by its terrorist-affiliated employees and its "teachers" who teach students to murder Jews. To Mr. Lazzarini, that doesn't seem to set any "dangerous precedent." Anyway.

The importance of the election in the United States

During Donald Trump's presidency in the United States, Washington implemented a significant budget cut to UNRWA, so it is likely that, should he win the November election, the Republican will support banning the agency in Israel.

However, should Democrat Kamala Harris obtain a victory at the polls, she will certainly not support Israel's decision, not only because of the current stance taken by the administration on the matter, but also due to the fact that Joe Biden reversed Trump's decisions on UNRWA.

UNRWA, a terrorist organization in disguise

One could say that UNRWA is nothing more than a terrorist organization disguised as an aid agency for Palestinian refugees. It is just another cog in the machine that is trying to destroy Israel, therefore, the Jewish state and the free world must declare it a terrorist organization and treat it as such.

The passage of these bills are mild measures, considering the damage the agency has caused Israel. Banning a terrorist group from operating in a sovereign country is the least that can be expected from a nation that does not want to commit suicide.