The National Jewish Assembly condemns the Government’s decision to commit a further £23 million of British taxpayers’ money to UNRWA.
The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza is not in dispute. The question is why ministers have once again chosen to channel public money through an agency whose neutrality has been repeatedly and fundamentally called into question.
Israeli authorities presented evidence that UNRWA employees participated in the atrocities of 7 October 2023, after which the United Nations dismissed staff members following its own investigation. Israeli forces have also reported uncovering Hamas tunnel infrastructure beneath UNRWA facilities, recovering weapons and military infrastructure from UNRWA sites, and exposing Hamas’ exploitation of the agency’s premises. Reports have also linked individuals employed by, or closely associated with, UNRWA to the holding of Israeli hostages. Research published over many years by UN Watch has further documented extensive evidence of UNRWA staff praising terrorism, promoting antisemitism and expressing support for Hamas, raising profound concerns about the agency’s culture, oversight and institutional neutrality.
This decision cannot be viewed in isolation. It follows a series of Government decisions that have placed sustained pressure on Israel while failing to demonstrate the same resolve towards Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and those who facilitate or reward terrorism. Ministers have sanctioned Israeli individuals and organisations, yet have failed to apply comparable pressure to the Palestinian Authority over incitement and its payments to convicted terrorists and the families of terrorists. At the same time, ministers have repeatedly demanded that Israel increase the flow of aid into Gaza while too often failing to acknowledge the extensive evidence that Hamas has diverted humanitarian assistance, exploited civilian infrastructure for military purposes, and embedded its terrorist operations throughout the humanitarian environment.
Against that backdrop, the decision to restore millions of pounds in funding to UNRWA is not merely questionable; it is profoundly misguided. British taxpayers are entitled to expect that their money is entrusted only to organisations that demonstrate the highest standards of neutrality, accountability and transparency.
British taxpayers deserve confidence that their money is helping civilians, not sustaining an organisation whose neutrality has been so fundamentally compromised. Until the Government can demonstrate that confidence is justified, this decision should be reversed.
