More than 70 policy experts, activists, and former members of Congress sent a scathing message to Congress on Monday, warning that the U.S. will stop U.N. relief efforts after several officials were reportedly found to have supported Hamas. They called for the permanent withdrawal of funding from the agency (UNRWA). Letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
In January, UNRWA announced that it had fired several staff members over a leaked report that suggested they may have supported the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, resulting in temporary Funding has been suspended. Advancing American Freedom, a conservative policy group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, letter It was addressed to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Minority Leader Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Majority Leader Senator Charles Schumer, and Republican Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell. (Related: Biden administration donates more than $1 billion to UN agencies, only cuts ties with terrorism-related officials)
“The United States can no longer fund UNRWA in a clean conscience. For years, the American public has been under pressure to provide services to millions of Palestinians whom UNRWA mislabels as “refugees.” We have been told a series of lies designed to create the false impression that the American people are just a humanitarian organization that needs our hard-earned tax dollars. ” the letter says.
UNRWA letter terminating AAF funding by kate anderson On Scribd
The letter was written by activists and former government officials, including former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Concerned Women of America CEO Penny Nance, former U.S. Agency for International Development Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick, and CEO Matt Brooks. signed. Republican Jewish Federation. The signatories argued that future funding would cross a “red line” after news reports revealed that thousands of government employees celebrated attacks on Israel.
“Not a penny of U.S. taxpayer money should ever again be used to directly or indirectly support UNRWA. Congress must defund UNRWA in the next appropriations program that becomes law. “No,” the letter says.
A leaked document from Israeli intelligence released on January 28th accused some 1,200 UNWRA employees of having ties to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.and nine people were reportedly fired. according to To the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Several employees received text messages on Oct. 7 instructing them to go to a contact point, and another employee was asked to bring a grenade that was allegedly in the home, according to the report.
Two UNRWA teachers reportedly took an elderly Israeli woman and boy hostage. SeparatelyAccording to the Washington Free Beacon. UNRWA recently appealed for public donations, saying it desperately needs funds to help Palestinians in Gaza, after the UK, Italy, Canada and Austria also withdrew funding.
The United States has donated more than $1 billion since 2021 after President Joe Biden lifted former President Donald Trump's decision to bar the United States from funding government agencies over concerns about terrorism links. . Lawmakers proposed a bill in 2023 to cut off further funding to the agency after reports that taxpayer dollars often end up in the hands of Palestinian terrorist groups, including Hamas. invoice It failed to pass a Senate committee.
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