In a classified discussion held this week in the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee regarding three bills aimed at halting UNRWA’s activities, a representative from the Shin Bet warned that “the UNRWA poses a security threat to the State of Israel and therefore it’s important to advance its closure,” Yisrael Hayom reported on Thursday morning.

According to the report, following the Shin Bet representative’s comments, Foreign Ministry and National Security Council officials warned that “pursuing overly aggressive legislation on the UNRWA could lead to arrest warrants against senior political figures.”

Currently, the IDF’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) continues to work with the UNWRA in Gaza despite its employees’ involvement in terrorism. The organization’s activities also continue uninterrupted in east Jerusalem and Yehudah and Shomron.

A representative from the Justice Ministry present at the meeting also expressed support for the UNWRA’s closure but warned of the consequences. A debate arose between Likud MK Amit Halevi and representatives of the Justice Ministry’s Legal Counsel and Legislative Affairs Department who argued that defining UNRWA as a “terror organization” is a circumvention of existing law—the 2016 Anti-Terror Law, which designates the Defense Minister as the sole authority to declare organizations as terrorist entities.

Halevi vehemently disagreed, saying: “There’s no such thing as a law circumventing another law; it’s an expansion of the law and a moral declaration from the legislator that is within its authority.”

Committee chair Yuli Edelstein emphasized, “The common thread of the proposals is to clarify Israel’s stance towards the UNRWA. When I hear that polio vaccinations in Gaza will be carried out by the UNRWA, I don’t understand Israel’s position…after this committee was informed that the intention is to minimize cooperation and usage of the UNRWA in every possible way. Clarity is needed on this matter and legislation is indeed needed.”

“I personally, and I’m sure many others, didn’t need October 7 to understand what UNRWA is but I think after October 7 it’s quite clear to all. In my opinion, the attempt to rationalize that the organization is fine with just a few bad weeds is appalling.”

Three bills were presented to the committee. One, by Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, proposes to prohibit UNRWA from operating within Israel’s sovereign territory, meaning it would not be able to establish any representative office, provide any services, or conduct any activities, either directly or indirectly, in Jerusalem.

The second proposal, by Yisrael Beiteinu MK Yulia Malinovsky, seeks to declare UNRWA a terrorist organization and for the State of Israel to sever its relations with the organization both directly and indirectly. The third proposal, put forward by Yesh Atid MK Ron Katz, which was merged with a similar proposal from Likud MK Dan Illouz, aims to establish that the provisions of the United Nations Immunities and Privileges Act will not apply to UNRWA, its officials, or individuals employed by it.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)