The populist legislation against UNRWA, which is set to be voted on in the Knesset, does not serve Israel’s interests, even though the organization is indeed problematic. UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Middle East, was established in 1949 after Israel’s War of Independence, with the support of Israel, to provide immediate aid to Palestinian refugees.
It was created as a temporary solution until the Palestinian refugee issue could be resolved, even before the establishment of the UN’s general refugee agency the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in 1950.
Over the years, and especially since 1967, UNRWA has become the largest employer and financier in Palestinian society. The agency is problematic because by its very existence, it perpetuates the interest in maintaining the Palestinian refugee status and has become an easy target for takeover and interference by internal Palestinian factions, some of which are connected to Hamas.
The educational content in the UNRWA schools is also problematic and amongst its 30,000 employees, many have been involved in acts of terror including the atrocities of October 7. This cannot be tolerated by Israel and many actions must be taken in coordination with donor countries. However, UNRWA’s issues are not the central motivation behind those seeking to close it and since there is no immediate alternative, the burden of humanitarian catastrophe will fall on our shoulders.
After the events of October 7 and the evidence of UNRWA employees’ involvement, many countries suspended their support for UNRWA. However, the vast majority (except for the United States, due to the Republican majority in the House of Representatives) have renewed their support. The world has realized that as of today, there is no other organization that can handle the enormous challenges in Gaza which have been exacerbated by the war. The organization is difficult to digest both in its foundations and its operations. Yet, without it or anything to replace it, the education, health, and welfare services that it provides in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem will be at risk of collapse. The strategic, moral, and even epidemiological danger to Israel should be clear to the Israeli government and its citizens.
AS IF no lessons have been learned from the actions of the Israeli government before October 7, when it strengthened Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian Authority (PA), it continues to intensify its efforts in this direction. In his role as finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich is doing everything he can to delay the tax returns owed to the PA. In his role as a minister in the Defense Ministry, he has taken over the Civil Administration and turned it into an arm for promoting settlements and pushing Palestinians out of Area C. At the same time, the government continues to revoke work permits for Palestinians, ostensibly for security reasons, but in practice as another step to stifle the Palestinian economy and exacerbate poverty in West Bank cities.
What exactly would replace UNRWA?
Those seeking to end UNRWA’s operations do not even concern themselves with considering what would replace them – most likely because they prefer the answer to be no one. Unfortunately, even members of centrist parties are being swept along, unable to understand the true intentions of those who propose such a step or its implications for Israel. Possibly, in the current political climate, they simply fear telling their voters the truth.
UNRWA is not what bothers the Israeli Right. The government and coalition are not aiming to simply dismantle the organization, but rather the entire Palestinian civil society’s ability to live with dignity.
Recently, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi asked in a press conference at the UN General Assembly in New York: “What is Israel’s endgame? What is it aiming for?” Unfortunately, the answer is that the most influential factions in the coalition’s goal is to deepen Palestinian despair as part of their fantasies of land transfer, which they have never abandoned.
Ultimately, when a Palestinian state is established, there will also be a solution for the Palestinian refugees, just as the State of Israel solved the Jewish refugee problem. At that point, UNRWA will no longer be needed. The refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem will be cared for by the Palestinian state, which will be bolstered by resources that are currently transferred to UNRWA. Palestinian refugees in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan who do not receive citizenship from their host countries will be cared for by the UNHCR.
Until then, we should all understand the true motives behind the right-wing’s attempts to shut down UNRWA, These are to weaken Palestinian society and sow despair at the cost of an additional economic, moral, and reputational burden on Israel – alongside strengthening Hamas. It is crucial and necessary that members of the centrist opposition parties stop being dragged along by the destructive initiatives of the extreme Right and understand that nothing good will come from deepening Palestinian despair and suffering.
The writer is J Street Israel’s executive director. He has served as an Israeli diplomat in Washington and Boston and as a political adviser to the president of Israel.