By an overwhelming vote of 88 to 49, the Parliament of the Netherlands voted to begin defunding UNRWA, citing its complicity with terrorism. Sweden has also just announced its elimination of funding for the agency.
The Netherlands and Sweden are the first EU states to begin to defund UNRWA, setting a major precedent for others to follow.
Ahead of the vote in The Hague, UN Watch had submitted key information on UNRWA’s terror ties, in a position paper published on the Parliament’s official website in June.
Hillel Neuer twice appeared in the Dutch Parliament, first for a briefing to MPs in March, and then in June for the parliamentary debate on UNRWA — in a clash that went viral on social media.
The newly-adopted Dutch motion, which gradually defunds UNRWA over the next four years, expressly states that “UNRWA as an organization has been in disrepute,” with “staff members glorifying violence in Telegram groups.” This is a reference to the chat group with 3,000 UNRWA teachers that celebrated the October 7th massacre, exposed by UN Watch in a January report.
In Sweden, the government’s announcement to defund pointed to difficulties facing UNRWA from new Israeli legislation outlawing the agency. Stockholm will instead redirect their funding to the World Food Program, UNICEF, the ICRC and other agencies. But Sweden also cited the “crisis of confidence” in UNRWA which has been “criticized for decades for a lack of neutrality” such as “employees participating in terrorism and antisemitic schoolbooks.”
HISTORIC DEFEAT FOR UNRWA: 🇳🇱 Netherlands Parliament just voted 88-49 to phase out funding for UNRWA by 2029, citing its complicity with terror. This is first EU state to defund UNRWA, setting major precedent. We had presented key info ahead of the vote: https://t.co/btMIkRbdzb https://t.co/SvAWBzkmvH
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 13, 2024
• Citing UN Watch, Dutch Party Challenges Government on UNRWA: In the Standing Committee, the following questions were submitted to the Minister of Foreign Trade: “The members of the PVV Group would like to refer to UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer’s testimony before the U.S. Congress, where he provides evidence of UNRWA’s failure.Could the Minister put Hillel Neuer’s questions and comments to the Commissioner General? How will the Netherlands and the EU ensure that his and her contributions to UNRWA are not used in ways that go against Dutch values and interests?” (February 11)
• In Amsterdam: Hillel Neuer delivered a public lecture exposing UNRWA terror ties, hosted by SWU Nederland. (March 11)
• In Dutch News: “Hillel Neuer’s Shocking Revelations About UNRWA” (Jonet, March 17)
• In The Hague: Neuer went to the Dutch Parliament to brief MPs on UNRWA, leading to social media posts, news reports, and Parliamentary questions. (March 12)
• In De Telegraaf: Major Dutch newspaper story interviewing Neuer on UNRWA terror ties. (March 11)
• Parliamentary Questions: Dutch MP files a series of written questions citing Neuer’s interview and challenging the Dutch government on its UNRWA funding. (March 13)
• UN Watch Submits Position Paper to Parliament: Position paper detailing UNRWA terror ties submitted to Parliament, published on official website. (June 20)
• Clash in Parliamentary Hearing: At the June hearing on UNRWA, radical left MPs in the Dutch Parliament pounced on Neuer soon as he began to speak, but his sharp rebuttals silenced them — and were shared by millions on social media. (June 20)
• Ripple Effect: Dutch news articles on the clash: “Hillel Neuer unmasks UNRWA in House of Representatives,” (De Dagelijkse Standaard, June 21); “Head of UN Watch stands firm in Parliament” (Jonet, July 2).
• Profiled in Leading Dutch Magazine: “We documented for years how UNRWA teaches anti-Israel hatred. The UN says it’s only a few bad apples, but in fact UNRWA is rotten to the core.” (Elsevier Weekblad, “The Most Hated Man at the UN,” July 17)
• MP Call for Urgent Debate: Member of Parliament Dennis Ram takes the floor in Parliament: “Yesterday Fateh al-Sharif, head of the UNRWA teachers’ union, was eliminated by Israel in Lebanon. Hamas has acknowledged that Al-Sharif was a high-ranking member of their organisation. These revelations confirm what Hillel Neuer, director of UN Watch, has already demonstrated in his report, which was presented in the Lower House. We would like to have an urgent debate on this with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.” (October 1)
• VICTORY: By an overwhelming vote of 88 to 49, the Dutch Parliament voted to begin defunding UNRWA, in a motion that relied on and cited to UN Watch information. (December 12)
BREAKING: 🇸🇪 Sweden ends all funding for UNRWA, redirecting aid to trusted groups. Second EU state to announce in one week, after the Netherlands. Momentum is on our side. We are going to run terrorist-infested UNRWA into the ground. Peace now has a brighter future. 🧵⬇️
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 20, 2024
3/ The text of the Dutch Parliament decision recaps key facts about UNRWA that we had presented to them in our Position Paper: https://t.co/S9QyQa0pU8
Bravo to @chris_stoffer & @Eerdmans for their successful motion, which states: “UNRWA as an organization has been in disrepute… pic.twitter.com/da8vQiktRK
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) December 13, 2024
Today in The Hague I was attacked right from the start by UNRWA's apologists. But things didn't go quite as they planned.@stephanvbaarle @sarahdobbe @danielle_h_be @ineskostic pic.twitter.com/jZbGFtZlpp
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) June 21, 2024
