The UK government increased funding to UNRWA this week and voted in favour of a resolution which gave “full support” to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which is the agency dedicated to helping Palestinian refugees. The resolution was in direct response to the Israeli government’s crackdown on the group, which has sadly been infiltrated with anti-Israel haters and terror supporters.

For a long time CUFI has been calling for UNRWA to be either reformed or disbanded.

UNRWA has links with Hamas. Its facilities and resources are often used by the terrorist organisation, seemingly with the knowledge of UNRWA staff. Dozens of UNRWA staff were found to be Hamas terrorists who took part in the October 7th attacks on Israel. Even the UNRWA HQ in Gaza shared its electricity with the Hamas HQ built directly underneath it, meaning that UNRWA (and the countries funding UNRWA) was paying the electricity bill for Hamas.

UNRWA is also the main educator of Palestinian children. Their textbooks are filled with anti-Israel incitement, including support for terror attacks on Jews.

UNRWA is perpetuating the refugee status of Palestinians. Not only are the Palestinians given special treatment with their own agency (all other refugees are covered by UNHCR). UNRWA receives more money per ‘refugee’ and they have three times more staff helping the small number of Palestinians rather than the far larger global refugee population. Not only this, but Palestinian ‘refugees’ have a unique status. They don’t lose this status even when they become citizens of other countries. Therefore, Palestinian billionaires with US citizenship are still called ‘refugees’. This is all by design to exacerbate the conflict and demand a ‘right of return’ for Palestinians into the land of Israel.

Simply put, UNRWA is a weapon to prolong the conflict with the aim of destroying Israel as a Jewish state.

Despite all of this, the UN passed a resolution this week in favour of UNRWA and it passed by a large majority.

The vote was 159 in favour, 9 against, and 11 abstentions.

Sadly, the UK was not only in favour of this resolution, but the UK Ambassador to the UN pledged the governements ‘unequivocal’ support for the body, condemned Israel for its position on UNRWA, and announced a further funding.

A statement from Dame Barbara Woodward, the UK Ambassador to the UN, reads:

“The UK intends to vote in favour of the resolution in support of UNRWA. We unequivocally reject attempts to undermine or degrade UNRWA.

“As my Foreign Secretary has said, the legislation passed by the Israeli Knesset seeking to restrict UNRWA’s work is unacceptable.

“UNRWA has an unequivocal mandate from the UN membership to provide life-saving aid to thousands of Palestinians in need. The UK continues to support UNRWA to deliver important reforms which can further strengthen their commitment to neutrality.

“As the occupying power, Israel has a responsibility to ensure Palestinians have basic services. UNRWA and UNRWA alone is equipped to deliver that.
“Today, my Prime Minister committed to an additional $16.5 million to UNRWA to support vital services for Palestinian refugees in the OPTs and the wider region.”

This is deeply troubling, but sadly not surprising. The UK position on UNRWA through consecutive governments has been problematic. However, after October 7th 2023 the then Conservative government froze funding to the group. Since Keir Starmer’s government has come into power, not only has the UK renewed funding the body, but increased it.

Now it seems the government is against even questioning UNRWA, despite all its flaws. This is not only foolish, it is dangerous.

As we said before, UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7th attacks on Israeli civilians. UNRWA’s headquarters in Gaza was built directly over Hamas’s headquarters and they both shared the same power. UK taxpayer money has been funding UNRWA for years, meaning UK taxpayer money has inadvertently helped Hamas. Not to mention the fact that UNRWA itself is a tool against Israel.

In all, we think this is shameful and misguided. UNRWA is not fit for purpose. And all the governments who supported this resolution, including the UK, are wrong. We pray the UK government wakes up to the problem that is UNRWA.

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