An UNRWA building in Gaza from where rockets were fired (video snippet)

Israel's UNRWA Ban Might Just Be The Way To "Free Palestine"

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The Judean Staff
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As The Judean reported yesterday, the Israeli Knesset passed two bills on October 28 that sharply restrict the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) activities within Israel and Palestinian territories. This resounding legislative victory—passed with a commanding majority of 92-10 and 87-9 in two separate votes—effectively bans UNRWA from operating within Israel’s borders and curtails its function across Gaza and the West Bank. The legislation, in tandem with the UN General Assembly's recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state earlier this year, might be just what the Palestinians need in order to end the cycle of dependency and despair.

A Controversial Role in the Palestinian Refugee Issue

While some critics view the move as drastic, for many Israelis, it’s a long-overdue response to UNRWA’s controversial role in Palestinian affairs. Established in 1949, UNRWA has been responsible for providing aid, education, and health services to Palestinian refugees. However, unlike the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which integrates or resettles refugees globally, UNRWA uniquely maintains the Palestinian refugee status indefinitely, allowing it to pass down through generations. This distinction, critics argue, has institutionalized a perpetual refugee identity, trapping Palestinians in a limbo of dependency and stagnation without a clear path to a permanent solution.

Israeli officials, including key members of the Knesset, argue that UNRWA's operations actively obstruct peace, not just by perpetuating refugee status but also by failing to counter or even indirectly endorsing extremism. Israeli government sources have pointed to disturbing instances where UNRWA schools have been used as channels for anti-Israel rhetoric and have promoted radical ideologies among Palestinian youth. The MIddle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has documented, on video, the hate that Palestinian children are being taught in UNRWA-run schools. Children, as young as 5 have been recorded on camera explaining how they are taught that Jews, not Israelis, are their enemies, and that their life's goal should be to have a short life, ending it in an attack that kills Jews and grants them the desired status of "shahid" or martyr.

UNGA Recognition of Palestinian Statehood Nullifies UNRWA's Mandate & Perpetual 'Refugee' Status

The UN General Assembly's recognition of Palestine as a state fundamentally undermines the basis for the perpetual refugee status sustained by UNRWA. Remember, UNRWA was established to provide relief and support for Palestinians displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, with a mandate that uniquely allowed Palestinian refugee status to be inherited by descendants. With the recognition of a Palestinian state, however, the logic underpinning this inherited, indefinite refugee status falters. If Palestine is acknowledged as a state, Palestinians effectively have a recognized homeland, which logically fulfills the criteria for repatriation as per standard international refugee practices.

The state recognition suggests that Palestinians have a sovereign entity through which their rights and claims can be addressed, mirroring the resolution paths applied globally. This transition should prompt the UN to reevaluate UNRWA's role, moving from perpetuating refugee status to supporting state-building within Palestine, enabling individuals to claim citizenship in the recognized state and reducing dependency on a refugee status that has become uniquely politicized. Recognizing the state of Palestine nullifies the rationale for a multi-generational refugee category, allowing Palestinians to integrate as citizens within their own national framework, aligning with the global norms of state sovereignty and self-determination.

Links to Terror: Israeli Evidence Exposes UNRWA Employees

Adding weight to these arguments, Israeli intelligence recently provided damning evidence linking UNRWA employees to terrorist activities. According to reports from the Israeli Defense Ministry, multiple UNRWA personnel were directly involved in the October 7 attack, which claimed numerous Israeli lives. The revelation implicated at least twelve UNRWA staff members, with thirty more accused of supporting the execution of this coordinated assault. Furthermore, findings reveal that 12 percent of UNRWA’s workforce in Gaza—around 13,000 employees—are affiliated with recognized terrorist groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for The Liberation of Palestine.

Beyond personnel involvement, Israeli defense sources disclosed that several UNRWA facilities had served as safe havens for terrorist operatives. These revelations have intensified global scrutiny of UNRWA, prompting leading international donors like the United States, Canada, and Australia to reconsider their financial support for the agency.

Dismantling UNRWA's Hold: A Strategic Shift Towards Palestinian Accountability

Supporters of the new legislation, as well as UN watchdogs who have been sounding the alert about UNRWA for nearly two decades, argue that diminishing UNRWA’s influence could pave the way for a much-needed overhaul of governance within Palestinian territories. Under the new legislation, Israel aims to transition responsibility for public services in Gaza and the West Bank from UNRWA to either the Palestinian Authority or alternative international bodies. By placing the responsibility for education, healthcare, and other essential services in Palestinian hands, Israel envisions a shift towards greater local accountability and governance. This, they argue, would reduce dependence on foreign aid and empower Palestinian institutions to provide for their people.

In response to concerns from the international community regarding a potential vacuum in aid services, Israeli officials emphasize that their approach prioritizes a sustainable, permanent resolution. Israel’s strategy is grounded in the belief that Palestinians, not international agencies, should hold the reins of their future.

UNRWA’s Future in Question as International Pressure Mounts

UNRWA’s future now hangs in the balance. With a growing number of donor nations revisiting their commitments, the organization faces the possibility of severe funding reductions. Israel’s legislative decision to restrict UNRWA, backed by overwhelming Knesset support, serves as a bold stand against what it perceives as an outdated, ineffective approach to the Palestinian refugee crisis. By taking control of its borders, cutting off access, and refusing cooperation with UNRWA, Israel signals a paradigm shift in its approach to the Palestinian issue—one focused on long-term solutions over temporary aid.

With this decisive legislation, Israel not only reasserts its sovereignty but also encourages a fundamental reevaluation of international intervention in the region, urging a closer look at the underlying frameworks that have sustained a 75-year-old crisis. The legislation also serves to end the cycle of the perpetual refugee. Children born to people of Palestinian descent should no longer be stigmatized with the label of a refugee, Palestinians born today should be Palestinians. If the United Nations General Assembly can recognize Palestine as a State, there is no need anymore for UNRWA, and there is no reason why so many people born in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and especially in other countries, need to be labeled as refugees anymore.

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The Judean is a weekly digital blog highlighting Israel's vibrant Democracy, rich culture, and complex history. Through compelling op-eds, select news stories, our celebrated Explainers and featured articles about history, archaeology and culture, The Judean brings the real Israel into focus. 'From The River To The Sea' Israel is truly free.
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