Three bills aimed at ending the presence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Israel passed a first reading in the Knesset plenum on Monday.
The agency has for decades perpetrated the fallacy of eternal refugee status for the millions of descendants of Arabs who fled — and in some cases, were ejected — from Israel during the 1948 War of Independence and the 1967 Six Day War.
The first bill would ban UNRWA from operating on Israeli territory, and passsed in a vote of 58 to 9.
The second measure is aimed at divesting UNRWA personnel of the legal immunities and privileges enjoyed by United Nations staff in Israel. That bill passed in a vote of 63 to 9.
The third bill would designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization and require Israel to cut ties with the agency. That measure passed passed in a vote of 50 to 10.
Israel Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky and a group of fellow MKs had advanced the measures.
Reports Revealed UNWRA Ties with Hamas
“In the months after the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war, investigative reports were revealed regarding the involvement of the workers of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip in the murderous terrorist offensive that began on October 7, 2023, such as participation in acts of murder and massacre, kidnapping Israeli citizens to the Gaza Strip and providing vehicles and equipment for the purpose of the offensive,” the explanatory notes to the bill point out.
“Reports were also published regarding the membership of these workers in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations.
“The above attests to the close relationship that exists between UNRWA and terrorist activity for all intents and purposes, in a manner that is no different from the activity of organizations that have been declared as terrorist organizations by law.
“Therefore, it is proposed to declare that UNRWA is a terrorist organization as defined in the Counter-Terrorism Law, 2016.”
The bills now return to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for deliberation.
Israel Will Sever Ties with UNRWA
The process of deliberation, reshaping and refining the bill back in committee could still take some time before the measure reaches the Knesset plenum for a final vote.
But if it passes, the bill would compel the State of Israel to sever its relations with UNRWA, both directly and indirectly.
“We have to perform a surgical [cut] here and end the event. We are on the UN’s blacklist in any case,” Malinovsky said following the bill’s passage on the first reading.
“All the excessive morality ended on October 7. UNRWA is a terrorist organization, and not only in Jerusalem. It is a fifth column within the State of Israel.
“Not just municipal property tax benefits; everything should be revoked from them. The fact that this hasn’t happened until now, for seven months is a disgrace,” she said.
Malinovsky congratulated her fellow lawmakers for coming together to pass the bill’s first reading.
“What is happening today is a badge of honor for the Knesset and for the Members of Knesset. The fact that we succeeded in joining hands, coalition and opposition — that is a very important statement for the government. We did a wonderful job together with all the partners to these bills.”
