The Knesset plenum has approved a bill to end the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in a preliminary reading of the measure.
The bill, advanced by Knesset member Boaz Bismut and several other lawmakers, was passsed in a vote of 33 to 10.
The legislation now goes to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee for discussion.
“It is proposed to prohibit the United Nations Relief and Employment Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRA) from operating in the sovereign territory of Israel, as well as to order the Israel Police to act to enforce this prohibition,” the bill reads.
“UNWRA’s role is to treat Palestinian refugees only, and hence there is no room for it to provide any services in the territory of the State of Israel, where there are no Palestinian refugees but residents of the country who receive services from its various institutions,” the explanatory notes read.
“UNRWA serves as a platform for incitement and education for hatred of Israel and harm to its Jewish residents. The schools it operates in Jerusalem teach antisemitic content and the textbooks glorify terrorists who murder children and women. UNRWA’s institutions serve as ‘fertile ground’ for carrying out actions and incitement against the State of Israel,” the notes read.
“In accordance with the reports prepared by the United Nations and UNRWA itself, it was found that UNRWA is a corrupt, inefficient agency rife with administrative irregularities that has completely failed to provide services to the Arab residents,” Knesset Plenum spokesperson Gal Cohen said.
“The few services provided by UNRWA in Israel are of a poor standard, and even the few residents who are their consumers complain about them.”
