The Suspension of Funding
On January 26, the US State Department made an announcement. They said that they were going to temporarily stop giving money to UNRWA. Why? Well, they wanted to investigate some allegations. They believed that 12 employees of UNRWA were involved in a military operation carried out by a group called the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. This group is connected to Hamas, a political movement. As a result, UNRWA fired 9 employees and one passed away. They also started an investigation to find out more.
But it's not just the United States. Other countries like Britain, France, Germany, Finland, Canada, and Australia also stopped giving money to UNRWA. This is a big deal because UNRWA has been helping Palestinian refugees since 1949. It's their main source of support.
Why Now?
Now, let's talk about why all of this is happening right now. It's interesting because it seems like the timing is connected to some other events. First, the International Court of Justice recently said that there was a genocide happening in Gaza. They also called for more help for the Palestinians living there. This happened around the same time that the countries decided to stop funding UNRWA.
A Quick History of UNRWA
Before we dive deeper into the reasons behind all of this, let's take a quick look at how UNRWA was formed. After a lot of land in Palestine was taken over in 1948, many Palestinians became refugees. They had to leave their homes and go to places like the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. To help these refugees, the United Nations created UNRWA in 1949.
UNRWA started its work in 1950 and was supposed to last for 3 years. But it kept going because there was still a lot of work to do. They provided aid and employment programs for around 700,000 Palestinian refugees. Over time, their responsibilities grew to include education, health services, social services, and more.
How is UNRWA Funded?
Concerning money, UNRWA gets its funding from different sources. The United Nations pays for some of the expenses, but most of the money comes from donations by member states. The United States is the biggest donor, giving around $350 million every year. But sometimes, there isn't enough money, and UNRWA has to deal with a big budget deficit.
In 2018, the United States stopped giving money to UNRWA because they wanted to pressure the Palestinians into accepting a proposal called the Deal of the Century. They thought there could be a better way to help the refugees.
Why Does Israel Want to Get Rid of UNRWA?
Israel has its own reasons for wanting to get rid of UNRWA. They believe that UNRWA is making the refugee issue worse. The number of refugees keeps increasing because UNRWA gives refugee status to the children and grandchildren of the original refugees from 1948. Israel sees this as a threat to their country because they worry about losing their Jewish majority.
Israel thinks that the refugees should be integrated into the countries they are living in, like Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. They even have a plan to transfer UNRWA's responsibilities and budget to another organization called the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This organization focuses on helping refugees find permanent homes in other countries.
Israel's Justifications
Israel has a few reasons why they want to get rid of UNRWA.
- First, they say that UNRWA teaches things in their schools that go against peace.
- They also claim that UNRWA's services in Gaza allow Hamas, a political group, to use their money for military activities instead of helping the people.
- Furthermore, Israel doesn't like that most of UNRWA's employees are Palestinians because they think it limits communication with other countries.
- Lastly, Israel often accuses UNRWA of having employees who are part of resistance groups or who use UNRWA's facilities for attacks. They've been making these accusations for a long time, especially during times of conflict.
When the First Intifada Broke Out
Back in 1987, when the First Intifada broke out, Israel made some claims against UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). They said that some UNRWA employees were members or supporters of Palestinian resistance organizations. They also accused UNRWA vehicles of being used to transport fighters and weapons. Israel demanded permission to search the agency's vehicles.
UNRWA, on the other hand, invoked diplomatic immunity for its employees and objected to the inspection of its vehicles. This accusation was repeated during the second intifada and recently resurfaced when Israel claimed that only 12 UNRWA employees out of 31,000 participated in the Al-Aqsa flood attack.
Dismantling the Refugee Issue
The restrictions imposed on UNRWA are part of a bigger plan to dismantle the refugee issue. This plan aims to push for unbalanced negotiations that put pressure on the Palestinians. They are forced to choose between violence and displacement or accepting a distorted state without weapons and sovereignty. In this process, they would have to give up their right of return, which is a crucial aspect of their demographic power.
While many Western countries provide political and military support to Israel, despite the horrific massacres that have resulted in the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinian martyrs, these same countries use the excuse of the involvement of only 12 UNRWA employees in the Al-Aqsa flood to cut off funding.
It is worth mentioning that the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, pledged to open an investigation and dismiss any employee proven to participate in armed acts. He has already terminated the contracts of employees accused by the West.
The Palestinians' Perspective
The Palestinians argue that the decision to stop funding about 60% of UNRWA's funding, along with the ongoing siege of Gaza and daily massacres, is effectively executing Palestinian refugees. This situation is particularly dire in Gaza and the West Bank. They believe that countries opposing the occupation should take the initiative to pressure for the completion of UNRWA's tasks, an end to the war, and the lifting of the siege. These actions are necessary for the Palestinians to achieve their basic life requirements.
