The Knesset on Monday evening passed a law barring the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA, from operating in Israel.
The bills passed with a majority of 92 out of 120 MKs, with only 10 [Arab] MKs voting against the bills and the others, the members of the Democrats party [merger of Labor and Meretz], abstaining.
Under the new law, UNRWA will not “operate any institution, provide any service, or conduct any activity, whether directly or indirectly,” in the sovereign territory of Israel. The activities of the UNWRA in East Jerusalem will end and its authority and powers will be transferred to Israel’s control
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Yuli Edelstein said at the beginning of the debate in the plenary: “As part of the committee’s discussions on the law, a video was shown that proves the involvement of UNRWA personnel in abducting a body to the Gaza Strip and other evidence of their activity in Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. In addition, the person who commanded the massacre in the Be’eri bomb shelter, where 16 Israelis were murdered and four abducted, was a UNRWA terrorist.”
“In light of this, and since it has been proven to the State of Israel that UNRWA and its employees acted against the State of Israel, the State must determine that UNRWA’s activities in its territory will be stopped,” Edelstein added. “The State of Israel will provide every service it is obligated to provide to its citizens and residents in all those places where UNRWA operated, coordinated by the Jerusalem Municipality. There is no place for enemies in the heart of the capital of the Jewish people.”
Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, who advanced the bill, stated: “UNRWA terrorists – your story ends here. Enemies have no right to exist in the State of Israel.”
Kobi Samerano, the father of Yonatan, H’yd, who was murdered on October 7 and whose body was abducted by a UNRWA employee, stated: “Baruch Hashem, after a difficult war and with the help of good Zionist people who prioritize love for the land, we managed to kick out the organization that deepened the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and became a breeding ground for terrorists, an entity that participated in heinous massacres, in the kidnapping of civilians and corpses, in the rape of our daughters, in the murder of children and the elderly, in the holding of hostages and their abuse. This is a small step in the victory of good over evil. This is history for the Israeli government to get rid of the people who enjoyed keeping citizens as refugees for five generations. B’ezrat Hashem, we will continue to defeat our enemies on all fronts and return all hostages for rehabilitation and burial. Am Yisrael Chai V’Kayam.”
The Biden administration opposed the move, warned against it, and actively tried to convince opposition government officials from supporting it – unsuccessfully. Also, senior officials in Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned that if the law passes, Israel will be suspended from the UN for violating the organization’s charter.
It should be noted that the Trump administration ended funding for the UNWRA in 2018. President Biden resumed funding to a certain extent after he entered office.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
good. send home and demolish all religious elements in Israel and let Israel chose and design their own destinations….time to change what was stolen from the Jews by Christian and Arabs…period……shame on you for allowing status quo to continue…..if you don’t live in Israel, shut your mouth