UNRWA in Numbers
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LETTER TO THE EUROPEAN UNION - STOP FUNDING HAMAS
Date: October 25, 2023
To:
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
European Commission, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
Dear Mrs. von der Leyen
We, the undersigned, have borne witness to the horrific acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas, an EU-designated terrorist organization, against innocent nationals of Israel, Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and other EU member states. We grieve in solidarity with the nearly 200 families whose beloved infants, toddlers, teenagers, and grandmothers are still held hostage by an organization that live streamed its propensity for torture, rape, and beheadings.
We appreciate your recent visit to southern Israel and your condemnation of the terrorismcarried out by Hamas, describing it as 'the most heinous assault against Jews since theHolocaust.' We also welcomed EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi’s declaration on October 9ththat the EU would place its entire 691 million euro Palestinian development portfolio underreview before issuing new payments.
We were bewildered when this decision was inexplicably reversed just five hours later, at a timewhen Hamas terrorists were still butchering Israeli civilians in Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Be’eri. Equallytroubling is the recent decision of the Commission to triple its funding to Gaza withoutestablishing any effective controls to ensure the money does not end up in the hands of Hamasonce again.
We support the provision of humanitarian aid to the innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza whoare also suffering under the oppressive rule of Hamas. However, Hamas presents a cynicalobstacle to this support, as it has mastered four primary modes of converting humanitarianassistance into material support for terrorism:
- First, Hamas extracts “taxes” from humanitarian shipments at border crossings.
- A portion of the shipments of donated goods are routinely confiscated by Hamas and re-soldfor a profit on the black market.
- Donor commodities (such as fuel) that do manage to arrive at their intended destination(such as UNRWA facilities) remain ripe for confiscation by Hamas whenever they seek toresupply their militia, as occurred on October 16th.
- Finally, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have advertised their propensity fordismantling humanitarian infrastructure (including water and sewage pipes) to repurposeinto rockets, a significant percentage of which fall short of their targets, landing in Gaza,killing countless civilians, and endangering humanitarian workers.
In accordance with the above, it is clear that currently all funds sent as humanitarian aid to Gazaare misappropriated for the purpose of inflicting even graver harm on the civilian population inthe Gaza Strip and in Israel.
A clear example of financial misappropriation of the European humanitarian aid is the case of anEU grant of €699,236 (2017-2019) that was allocated to the Palestinian organizations: Union ofPalestinian Women’s Committees (UPWC), Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P),Health Work Committees (HWC), Bisan Center, and Land Research Center (LRC). Theseorganizations have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist group.In December 2019, the Israel Security Agency arrested a 50-person terror network operating inthe West Bank, allegedly responsible for a bomb attack that resulted in the death of a teenager inAugust 2019. Among those arrested were three senior employees of NGOs that werebeneficiaries of this EU grant, including Walid Hanatsheh (Abu Ras), HWC’s finance andadministration manager; Ubai Aboudi, Bisan’s Executive Director; and Iteraf Hajaj (Rimawi), whoserved as Bisan’s Executive Director in 2017
As the European Parliament stated in its resolution 2023/2899(RSP) of October 19th, 2023 “theEU budget must continue to provide support for building peace and stability in the region,combating hate and fundamentalism and promoting human rights.”
The European Union has established procedures and mechanisms to ensure that its financial aidreaches the intended recipients. However, it has not effectively implemented these measureswhen it comes to the funds provided to Palestinian civilians. In fact, the European Parliament'slatest resolution called again upon the European Commission to conduct a comprehensive reviewof all EU financial assistance to the Palestinians to guarantee that no EU funds are used, eitherdirectly or indirectly, to finance terrorism. Likewise, we support the call of the aforementionedlegislative body for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by the terroristgroup Hamas and the return of the bodies of deceased hostages.
We strongly call the member states of the European Union to monitor the allocation of funds forhumanitarian aid to prevent diversion to Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, and totake all necessary steps to ensure the release of all hostages currently held captive in the GazaStrip.
LETTER TO THE EUROPEAN UNION - STOP FUNDING HAMAS
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ), led a coalition of over 40 organizations in a campaign to cut off all European Union funding to
Hamas.
“Hamas has mastered the graft of converting humanitarian aid into material support for terrorism,”
said Uri Morad, Director of International Law & Public Diplomacy for the Jerusalem Institute of
Justice (JIJ). “Hamas taxes the shipments at the border, confiscates a portion to sell for profit on the
black market, flagrantly steals humanitarian assets like fuel and food and even digs up humanitarian
projects like water and sewage pipes to make rockets.”
JIJ advocacy efforts were joined by prominent Israeli, European, and North American organizations
committed to countering terrorist efforts, including NGO Monitor, International Legal Forum, Shurat
Hadin, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Maccabi Europe, and the National Jewish Assembly.
This push comes after weeks of conflict within the EU over its financing of Palestinian organizations.
On October 9th, EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi declared that the EU would place its entire 691
million euro Palestinian development portfolio under review before issuing new payments. His
decision was suddenly reversed only five hours later, at a time when Hamas terrorists were still
butchering Israeli civilians in Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Be’eri. Two days later, the European
Commission announced that it would triple its funding to Gaza without implementing any new
controls to ensure the money does not end up in the hands of Hamas. The European Parliament then
intervened on October 19th, demanding better financial oversight of EU funding to the Palestinians.
Hamas is not alone in making cynical use of humanitarian funding for the purpose of advancing
terrorism. In December 2019, the Israel Security Agency arrested a 50-person terror network
operating in the West Bank, allegedly responsible for a bomb attack that killed a teenager earlier that
year. The arrestees included three senior employees of NGOs that received generous EU funding -
Walid Hanatsheh, Ubai Aboudi, and Iteraf Hajaj. Their organizations had received an EU grant of
€699,236 despite their ties to the PFLP terrorist group.
“The EU is the biggest Western funder of Palestinian organizations, and it already knows that a
substantial amount of its donations end up in the hands of terrorists,” said Flavia Sevald, CEO of JIJ.
“To shovel three times more money into the hands of Hamas, without any new controls, after they
live-streamed their sadistic butchery, simply defies all logic.”
Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) is an Israeli human rights NGO with consultative status before the
United Nations.
JUSTICE, THE BIBLE, AND US
Operating in the only democracy in the Middle East, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice uses the law to seek equality and fair treatment. Since the establishment of Israel in 1948, the country has been striving to find a balance between democratic values and its nature as a Jewish State.
We sometimes find a disparity between the law and political interests. For example, since the state’s beginnings, Jewish Ultra-Orthodox political factions have had a monopoly on matters of faith, deciding who is a Jew and who receives religious and civil rights. This creates huge challenges for other streams of Judaism and for those who profess any other faith, highlighting the need for the services provided by JIJ.
As an Israeli human and civil rights organization, JIJ draws its working principles from two monuments of thought. These are monuments that have decisively impacted western civilization. The first of course is the Bible, the second, which was written after the Holocaust, is the Universal Declaration of Human rights.
The Bible expresses God’s heart for the world, teaching us as it says in Micah 6:8, to walk humbly, pursue justice, love mercy, to have a proper regard for each person and to influence the development of a better society.
The rabbis in the Talmud say that the Torah begins and ends with justice. (Exodus Rabbah 30:19). But what is Justice? In Judaism, justice is the equal and right application of God’s law and morality for mankind.
In Hebrew, there is a clear connection between
- Justice-Tzedek,
- A righteous person- Tzadik,
- And acts of righteousness- Tzedakah
These terms are rooted in wisdom. The base of these words are three letters (tzadik, dalet and kuf) צ-ד-ק.
The only difference between the words is the addition of letters י(yud) and ה (heh) which both represent in Jewish tradition the full name of the Lord. Here we see the centrality of God in justice.
- To bring justice צדק,
- a godly person, צדיק,
- must perform godly acts, צדקה
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was based on Judeo-Christian values, mirrors the principles of human dignity, our responsibility to each other and personal freedoms.
Part 2 – coming soon
Defunding Terror - Hamas
Jerusalem Institute of Justice is proud to sign on to this amicus brief, petitioning the US Supreme Court to hear the case in which National Westminster Bank transferred money that was knowingly going to the US designated terror organization, Hamas.
Amicus Brief Introduction:
The raison d’etre of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, known by its acronym “Hamas,” is—as explicitly stated in Hamas’ Charter of 1988 and often repeated by its leadership—the murder of Jews and the violent expulsion of #Jews from their biblical ancestral homeland, the Land of #Israel. Petitioners and their loved ones were injured or killed in Hamas’ pursuit of its goals. And Respondent National Westminster Bank PLC (NatWest) knowingly aided and abetted those goals, through its facilitation of financial transactions for Interpal, knowing of Interpal’s connections to Hamas, and the foreseeable consequences of those financial transactions.
How the United Nations Indirectly Funds Hamas
Article by Beniamino Parenzo as an intern at the Jerusalem Institute of Justice.
The United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Western governments funnel critical financial support to a Hamas-tied “charity” organization in disregard of its known history.
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international organization based in the United Kingdom that maintains offices around the world, including Gaza and the West Bank. IRW operates, ostensibly, as an international relief and development charity. Their website’s mission statement reads, “inspired by Islamic faith, we have been striving to make the world a better and fairer place.” Apparently, making the world ‘a better and fairer place’ includes financing Hamas.
According to investigations carried out by the Israel Security Agency, IRW has played a central role over the years in channeling money to this terrorist organization. Based on Shin Bet’s findings, Israel’s Defense Minister declared IRW illegal on June 19, 2014 and banned it from operating anywhere in Israel and the West Bank.
This should hardly have come as a surprise to any impartial observer. As long ago as 2006, the Israeli Ministry for Foreign Affairs had designated IRW a terrorist front, noting that “IRW provides support and assistance to Hamas’s infrastructure.” That same year, on May 10th, Israeli police arrested IRW’s Gaza coordinator, Iyaz Ali, who admitted he was aware that “. . . several of the organizations supported by the IRW in Judea, Samaria and Gaza were indeed identified with Hamas.”
A Long History of IRW Ties to Extremist Organizations
While ties to Hamas mark IRW’s most striking alliance, this ‘charity’ organization boasts a long history of personal and financial connections to varied Islamic extremist groups and pro-terror organizations. The reader’s eye cannot fail to notice Al Qaeda-related organizations, including the “Charitable Society for Social Welfare” and “Human Concern International,” as well as the Hamas-funded “Human Appeal International” on the public list of IRW donors. To say this is concerning understates the likely impact of these donors upon IRW actions.
Not only does the IRW receive funds from terrorist organizations, but some of its trustees and directors have long-maintained personal ties to other extremist organizations. For instance, Essam El-Haddad, a former trustee of both IRW and Islamic Relief UK, left IRW in 2012 to become the National Security Advisor for Egypt’s former President, Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood party. Abdul Wahab Noorwali, another trustee of IRW, was the Assistant Secretary General of the “World Assembly of Muslim Youth,” an association that the U.S. government has accused of linkage to Osama Bin Laden and the Hamas leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. In 2003, Yassin thanked the World Assembly of Muslim Youth for their continued financial support. Ahmed Al-Rawi, a director of IRW, was the former head of the “Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe” and president of the “Muslim Association of Britain,” both regarded as groups aligned with the European Muslim Brotherhood. And the list goes on.
The Funding of IRW by UNOCHA
While shutting off IRW funding to Hamas falls outside the scope of international mandates, those who defend democracy and human rights might well expect the United Nations to act in concert with Europe and the United States to limit, where possible, IRW access to western funds. To the contrary, the U.N. funds IRW, provoking this compelling question: “what motivates the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), under-written by Western governments, to provide direct financial support to IRW and, thereby, to provide indirect financial support to Hamas through IRW?”
UNOCHA, an arm of the United Nations Secretariat, serves as the primary coordinator of NGO funding and activity and is charged with responsibility “for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies.” UNOCHA determines the relative priorities and needs of societies in crisis, sets strategic response objectives and coordinates the funding of local NGOs tasked with meeting those needs by defining so-called Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs).
IRW has been permitted to continue its activities as a “Participating Organization” in UNOCHA’s HRPs, despite the decree issued by the Israeli Defense Minister that bans the organization for its financial ties with Hamas.
All funding records managed by UNOCHA are publicly accessible from the Financial Tracking Service (FTS) database. Taking into account both the pledged and paid contributions made to IRW after the 2014 banning decree, this organization has been given, or promised, more than $80 million U.S. Dollars through the UNOCHA humanitarian coordinating mechanism. The European Union, United Kingdom and Sweden are listed alongside other stated donors to IRW.
An Unacceptable Situation
Who would not wish to believe that the governments named above were unaware of the alleged role played by IRW in financing what they themselves deem a terrorist organization? However, following the Israeli warrant against IRW in 2014, the NGO Monitor made a formal inquiry into the funding of Hamas through IRW. While all of the entities named above did reply, none took a position on IRW’s alleged misconduct, nor did they implement a satisfactory monitoring mechanism to track the spending of funds donated to IRW. In other words, the status quo was reaffirmed.
In short, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) sustains a long, unbroken history of ties with controversial extremist groups that has been banned from operating in Israel and the West Bank because of its role in funneling money to Hamas. Yet, this same organization receives funds from multiple Western governments through a mechanism set up, approved, and controlled by the United Nations. None of these entities have addressed the unchallengeable Israeli claim that IRW channels money to a known terrorist organization.
This is not science fiction, though it would have seemed so a few short years ago. We cannot answer the question raised earlier about the motivations which direct U.N. funding of Hamas through Islamic Relief Worldwide. However, whatever the motivation, the unbelievable, unacceptable and shocking truth which connects UNOCHA to extremism and terrorism demands immediate, corrective action by the United Nations.
This article originally appeared in The Times Of Israel, here.
ISRAEL REVEALS BDS "NETWORK OF HATE"
Research Highlights Prominent Role of the PA and Hamas in Leading BDS, Certain BDS Organizations’ Ties to Terror Groups
Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan:
"The relationship between terrorist organizations and the BDS movement has never been closer, ideologically or operationally. I will continue to go after the perpetrators of this anti-Semitic hate campaign stemming from Gaza and Ramallah."
Jerusalem, Israel ― June 19, 2018 ― Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Gilad Erdan revealed for the first time the “Network of Hate”. This map showcases the network of ties between 42 of the most prominent BDS organizations― ten of which have ties with the internationally recognized terrorist organizations Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Minister Erdan presented the information at this year’s Global Coalition 4 Israel Forum (GC4I), an event focused on strategies for countering BDS and anti-Israel delegitimization.
Additional data presented:
• The Ministry of Strategic Affairs asserts boycott organizations are relying heavily on falsified propaganda disseminated by Hamas and the PA, with a quarter of them shown to have ties to the terrorist organizations PFLP and Hamas.
• BDS organizations are interconnected and operate together as an integral network directed from Ramallah and the BDS National Committee (BNC).
• The next boycott target: Israel's military arms trade.
• There are currently an estimated 300 organizations calling for a boycott of Israel.
In his speech on the opening night of the conference, Minister Erdan said that as a result of his ministry going on the offensive over the last two years, the boycott movement is now on the defensive. "Just recently, we have revealed to the European Union that part of the money that it supposedly transfers to ‘human rights organizations’ is in fact transferred to groups that maintain ties with terrorist organizations."
"The perpetrators of this hate-filled campaign, who derive their ideology from the PA and Hamas, are united in their goal of attacking Israel, and are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts. Under the guise of ‘civil activities’, a coordinated and financed network of organizations is led from Ramallah and Gaza, a quarter of which have links to terrorist organizations, including Hamas and the PFLP.”
The minister went on to note that Hamas and the PFLP openly support and embrace the BDS movement. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated, "We support the BDS movement" in July 2017, and his movement repeated it only last month. Other examples include: Senior members of Palestinian organizations Al-Haq, DCI-P and Addameer having either had or have active roles in the PFLP, whereas Ramallah-based Shawan Jabarin, the General Director of Al-Haq and a leader in multiple legal campaigns against Israel, served 13 years in prison in Israel for his involvement in the military wing of PFLP. Lila Khaled participated in the fundraising campaign for BDS South Africa, and ties between the American boycott organization "Semidoun" and the PFLP were also found. Additionally, the BDS organization PRC promotes Hamas's interests in Europe and members of the British PSC and FOA held meetings with senior Hamas figures in the Gaza Strip and recently held a demonstration in Downing 10 in support of Hamas’s recent “March of Return” campaign.
Minister Erdan also blamed the Palestinian Authority, which has been a long-time advocate for boycotting Israel, for officially adopting the principles of thr boycott movement in its Palestinian National Council last May. "We saw attempts by senior PA officials to suspend Israel from FIFA and to promote the ‘black lists’ formulated by the UN Human Rights Council. All of these campaigns, exposed by the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, were extensively promoted by the BDS organizations.
Minister Erdan also observed the political environment is decidedly against the boycott movement, noting anti-boycott legislation has already been passed in 25 US states, and boycott activity in Europe has been thwarted thanks to the exposure of its discriminatory elements against both Jews and the State of Israel.
Recently, the Ministry of Strategic Affairs has identified a rise in the content and audiences to which BDS groups directing their activities. Boycott organizations have recently called for a halt to trade agreements with Israel and to business cooperation with Israel's defense industries.
Minister Erdan noted that this campaign is no longer held only among civil society organizations, but recently the boycott organizations have begun to lobby MPs in various parts of the world. The opening of the first branch of the BNC this year in India may be part of the strategic goal of the boycott movement against Israel’s arms trade.
Minister Erdan concluded, "The relationship between terrorist organizations and the BDS movement has never been closer, ideologically or operationally. I will continue to go after the leaders of this hate-filled campaign emanating from Gaza and Ramallah."