The bipartisan spending package, which Biden signed into law, also cuts funding to the United Nations Human Rights Council unless the administration can certify that it is taking ‘significant steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item,’ and bans funding for the UN Commission of Inquiry on Israel
WASHINGTON – The U.S. has officially barred funding for UNRWA through March 2025 after U.S. President Joe Biden signed the government spending package into law.
In the past year, the Congress had received detailed information on UNRWA’s ties to terrorism, in a series of briefings provided by UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer in testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, including in its subcommittee on UN affairs chaired by Rep. Chris Smith.
The massive 1,000-plus page bill includes a stipulation barring funding to UNRWA “for any amounts provided in prior fiscal years or in fiscal year 2024 or for amounts provided in fiscal year 2025, until March 25, 2025.”
This would effectively allow whoever is in power in March 2025 to decide whether to allocate any leftover funds within that year to UNRWA.
Earlier in January, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, the Stop Support for UNRWA Act, by a vote of 30 to 19, including with the support of Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Kathy Manning, Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Rep. Brad Schneider. The legislation would prohibit any contributions to UNRWA, or to the regular budget of the UN for the support of UNRWA.
We should not be surprised by what happened on October 7th because that is the message that these Palestinians got for more than 70 years in @UNRWA schools.@HillelNeuer brings UN Watch's case against UNRWA before U.S. Congress: https://t.co/tVTQFI3BYN pic.twitter.com/K44bPyGlTD
— UN Watch (@UNWatch) January 31, 2024
UNRWA: Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh Was One of Our Teachers
Ahmad Oueidat, UNRWA’s former Director of Professional Development and Curriculum: “UNRWA has tried to constitute a national platform and a long arm which would enable the Palestinian refugees to obtain their rights and… pic.twitter.com/024XS9GJm3
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) March 22, 2024
