December 1, 2023
OTTAWA – On Thursday, as Hamas terrorists violated their temporary ceasefire with Israel, news broke that an employee of a United Nations agency was involved in keeping an Israeli civilian hostage in Gaza.
Despite abundant evidence of the misappropriation of international aid in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Canada’s Government recently pledged to provide a further $16.2-million in taxpayers’ dollars to non-profit organizations operating in the region.
Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, divulged this week that $10 million of this package will be allocated to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Urgent calls to halt this funding have emerged following reports that a teacher employed by UNRWA imprisoned a hostage kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, holding him captive in an attic and depriving him of food and water.
There also are reports that about 100 Hamas terrorists were educated in UNRWA schools.
“How in the world can Canada’s Government possibly contribute funds to UNRWA at this time?” asked Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “There have been enough substantiated reports of the misuse of funding to irrefutably destroy UNRWA’s credibility in the eyes of Canadians.”
Recent reports only enhance preexisting concerns held by many groups about the misuse of funds by UNRWA. As B’nai Brith has warned repeatedly, there is strong evidence that the organization’s schools have become conduits for violent incitement. Educational materials such as textbooks used in UNRWA schools in the West Bank and Gaza are rife with antisemitic caricatures, rhetoric glorifying terrorism and promote the erasure of the Israeli state.
With terrorism being glorified in Gazan schools it is sadly unsurprising that Hamas has broken the conditions of the recent temporary pause in fighting. These terrorists are brainwashed to murder Jews, and unfortunately, UNRWA is part of the problem.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released images of Hamas using UNRWA installations as launching pads for their indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.
“The allegation that a teacher working for UNRWA hid and mistreated an Israeli hostage is only the latest reason for Canada to immediately stop funding the organization,” Mostyn said. “Our Government must finally hold UNRWA accountable and cease all funding to the agency until its compliance with international law can be assured.”
