In the often
unexpected twists and turns marring the decades-long struggle by Palestinians
to achieve long-awaited justice for their cause, the defunding of UNRWA, the UN
Relief and Works Agency, has emerged as one of the primary goals of the Israeli
political establishment and its subservient lawmakers in the United States,
especially as the far-right in Israel began to move from the fringe to the
center of the state’s political arena.
اضافة اعلان
A seven-decade
US policy of funding the UN agency, responsible today for more than 5.7 million
registered Palestine refugees in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and three host
countries, ended abruptly in 2018 when then US President Donald Trump cut off
$360 million, representing about one-quarter of the agency’s annual budget.
That was a
demand by the Zionist lobby in Washington and by Likud leader Prime Minister
Benyamin Netanyahu. It had nothing to do with consistent US policy in the
Middle East or serving America’s long-term interests in the region. Trump never
consulted America’s regional allies, especially those hosting Palestine
refugees, namely Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. There was no thinking of the
consequences of that decision and how it might have deep adverse effects on
millions of refugees and the outcome of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
From a
hard-line Israeli point of view, the logic, if one can call it that, meant that
one of the so-called thorniest final status issues that of the fate of
Palestine refugees, their right of return or/and compensation would be swept
under the carpet if and when UNRWA fizzles out of existence, leaving host
countries with complex humanitarian and demographic problems. Israel, which
caused the influx of Palestinians out of their native homeland, would have
washed its hands of this nagging problem.
This evil plot
ties naturally with the current drive to fatten and build illegal settlements
on occupied lands, annex the Jordan Valley, terminate the Hashemite
custodianship over Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, demolish
Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and raze entire Arab neighborhoods in a bid
to Judaize all of Jerusalem. What the summation of all of these projects
amounts to can be summed up in two words: Ethnic cleansing.
While
Palestinians on the ground can do their bit to slow down, but not stop, the colonial
settler encroachment on their lands in the West Bank, they can do little or
nothing to stop a superpower from defunding or weakening UNRWA.
From a hard-line Israeli point of view, the logic, if one can call it that, meant that one of the so-called thorniest final status issues that of the fate of Palestine refugees, their right of return or/and compensation would be swept under the carpet if and when UNRWA fizzles out of existence, leaving host countries with complex humanitarian and demographic problems.
The Biden
administration restored funding to the agency in April 2021, which made the
issue a partisan one. There are no guarantees that a Republican successor in
2024 would not reverse that decision. Just like the notorious move to recognize
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and relocate the embassy there — which did
nothing to further peace and kick-start a stalled political process — cutting
funds to UNRWA will likely become the new US policy.
Already the US
Senate is mulling a bill that halts the provision of benefits to UNRWA and the
descendants of Palestinian refugees. Under the proposed bill, titled the “UN
Relief and Works Agency Accountability and Transparency Act”, descendants of
Palestinian refugees would no longer be considered refugees. The bill reads
that “derivative refugee status may only be extended to the spouse or a minor
child of a Palestinian refugee”.
Furthermore,
the bill stipulates that the US must halt any contributions to UNRWA or related
entities unless and until the US Secretary of State submits a written
certification to the effect that: “no official, employee, consultant,
contractor, subcontractor, representative, affiliate of UNRWA” or other partner
organization “has propagated or disseminated anti-American, anti-Israel, or
anti-Semitic rhetoric, incitement, or propaganda”.
It goes
further to describe any depictions of “Israelis as ‘occupiers’ or ‘settlers’”
as propaganda. To add insult to injury, it includes within the category of
incitement “expressing support for a boycott of, divestment from, and sanctions
against Israel (commonly referred to as ‘BDS’)” and “claiming or advocating for
a ‘right of return’ of refugees into Israel”, as well as “ignoring, denying, or
not recognizing the historic connection of the Jewish people to the land of
Israel”.
It is not
far-fetched that this outrageous text was written in the halls of the Israeli
Knesset and sent by diplomatic pouch to pro-Zionist US senators, who would not
have added or deleted a word.
Keeping UNRWA alive should be a primary national security objective of Arab countries as well. The collapse of UNRWA will have an immediate destabilizing effect on Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
Of course, it
should come as no surprise that the US bill directly violates all accepted and
universally adopted definitions of refugees, their rights, and the legal
responsibility that the international community is obliged to provide them with
under UN conventions and protocols. Once again, US lawmakers are ready to
trample on international law when it comes to serving Israeli interests—not
that these interests are always aligned with those of the United States.
So far, the
European Community and individual European countries, and Japan have stepped in
to keep UNRWA going. Together they are the number one provider of funds to the
agency.
But this is
not enough. Keeping UNRWA alive should be a primary national security objective
of Arab countries as well. The collapse of UNRWA will have an immediate
destabilizing effect on Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Beyond that, it will create
an enormous humanitarian crisis. Moreover, it will reward Israel as an occupier
and speed up the process of liquidating the Palestinian issue, taking up the
land and leaving the fate of its people to the region and the world.
In the absence
of a fair and lasting settlement to the plight of the Palestinians, killing off
UNRWA is not only stupid and reckless but also dangerous to the stability of
the Middle East.
Osama Al
Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman.
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