The latest spending bill passed by Congress has defunded UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The decision was based on accusations made by Israel, without any evidence, that the organization supports terrorism. As a result, our tax dollars are now being used to support the murder of innocent Palestinians and the starvation of their children. It is vital to hold our elected officials accountable for their actions and demand that they stop funding these atrocities.
Israel’s right to defend itself on occupied territory is a contentious issue, but what about the Palestinians’ right to exist and defend their land? The West has a history of denying Palestinians and Africans the right to retaliate on their land. On October 7, Hamas had every right to retaliate for the abuse and oppression Palestinians experienced at the hands of the Israelis and their government. Israel’s blatant lies to justify ethnic cleansing and war crimes in Gaza are unacceptable. There is no justification for targeting innocent civilians, including babies. It’s time to hold Israel accountable for its actions and recognize its guilty of committing war crimes.
While we wait, children are experiencing malnutrition. Israel, the US, and other Western nations forcibly starve Gazans to death. They are targeting children when forcibly starving over a million people.
Humanitarian aid is direly needed. The mere allegation that 0.03 % of UNRWA, 8-11 employees out of 30,000 employees, would cast UNWRA as a Hamas arm and somehow culpable for October 7 is absurd because if applied to Israel, the world should shun Israel and not give another dime of tax dollars to a country legally accused and charged with genocide. South Africa not only accused Israel of genocide, it presented evidence to back up its accusations at the ICJ, something Israel has yet to do. The hypocrisy and double standards of the West are shocking. The emaciated bodies of children are a traumatizing reminder of evidence and Israeli terrorism.
There are other significant obstacles to UNRWA’work to providing humanitarian aid, such as stockpiled trucks filled with assistance held up by Israel. The real victims are innocent children killed by preventable causes.
Maybe this is a blessing for UNRWA because other countries will take the lead and force Israel and the US to remember humanity. Nothing good comes from genocide. UNRWA needs our support to bypass Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Absence of evidence: Israel’s case against UNRWA
David Cameron accuses Israel of blocking key aid crossing in Gaza
Israel: Palestinian children still being tortured in Israeli prisons
Israel-Palestine war: Israel shut down NGO for reporting rape of teenager, ex-US official says
US intelligence casts doubt on Israeli claims of UNRWA-Hamas links, report says
