Philippe Lazzarini, the lavishly-paid Director-General of UNRWA, is alarmed at the response of Western donors to the revelations about twelve agency staffers taking part with Hamas in the pogrom on October 7. Already nine countries have announced that they are suspending aid to UNRWA until such time as the matter of Hamas collaborators in its ranks has been thoroughly investigated. Meanwhile, Lazzarini is upset that UNRWA might actually have to reduce its bloated bureaucracy in Gaza, and cut salaries, too, of its upper echelon employees — including that of Lazzarini himself. More on Lazzarini’s lament can be found here: “UNRWA chief asks donors to reconsider as Germany joins cascade freezing funds,” Times of Israel, January 28, 2024:
The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees urged donor countries not to freeze funds in the wake of allegations that staffers had participated in the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, calling the move “immensely irresponsible” as Germany and Scotland became the latest to announce funding freezes.
No, what was “immensely irresponsible” was the way that UNRWA’s top brass, including Lazzarini, have done nothing over many years to prevent a culture of violent antisemitism from suffusing the agency’s ranks. It did nothing, for example, to excise the antisemitic passages in its schoolbooks; those schoolbooks formed the minds both of 2.2 million Gazans, and 13,000 UNRWA staff members in Gaza.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini expressed alarm over the cuts, saying they put 2 million Gazans relying on the UN body for humanitarian aid at risk.
What puts Gazans at risk is Hamas stealing much of the humanitarian aid now entering Gaza for its own operatives, a practice that has led Gazans to publicly denounce Hamas. What puts Gazans at risk is the Hamas practice of embedding its men and weapons among the civilians, using them as human shields, and trying to prevent them from fleeing to areas the IDF has told them will be safe.
“It is shocking to see a suspension of funds to the Agency in reaction to allegations against a small group of staff, especially given the immediate action that UNRWA took by terminating their contracts and asking for a transparent independent investigation,” Lazzarini said Saturday night.
Nine countries, including the US and Britain, have said they are suspending funding for the agency. The moves came as Lazzarini announced Friday that UNRWA had sacked several staffers and ordered an independent investigation following information from Israel showing that UNRWA employees had been involved in the October 7 onslaught….
It’s now up to UNRWA to investigate its employees — beyond the initial dozen it has apparently fired based on incontrovertible evidence provided by Israel — for evidence of support for, or collaboration with, Hamas. Once that has happened, and appropriate measures taken for those discovered to be Hamas enthusiasts or collaborators — i.e, their discharge from employment — then the countries that have suspended their aid to UNRWA will be willing to renew that aid, though I think it will be at a much-diminished level, as a way to express a continuing distrust of, and anger with, UNRWA.
Meanwhile, the combined contributions of the rich Arab states of the Gulf to UNRWA come to less than $50 million. That is because they understand that much of the aid sent to Gaza ends up in the pockets of Hamas’ leaders – the top three have already appropriated $11 billion for themselves — and are keenly aware that Hamas, as a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, is the enemy of Arab monarchs.
The agency’s supporters say the allegations aim to diminish the long-festering refugee issue. Last week, Lazzarini said he would appoint an independent entity to look into the claims — both “what is true or untrue” and “what is politically motivated.” He also said the accusations were hurting the agency’s already stretched operations.
Yes, the “accusations” about UNRWA staff joining Hamas in committing atrocities which nine countries believe are true will “hurt the agency’s operations.” So what? How else can the agency be made to do the decent thing, not only by ferreting out and firing supporters of terrorism — especially those who participate in Hamas attacks on civilians — in its ranks, but by at long last excising the antisemitism in its schoolbooks that teach Palestinian children the murderous hatred of Jews that leads later in life to their participating in atrocities like those of October?
rick says
I have said it once, I have said it a hundred times. Stop the US, EU money flow to the Palestinian cause and the very idea of “Palestine” disappears afterward. Arab states will not take the place of Western chumps. Without money, all of the ideology as well as the idolatry of “Palestine” will dry up.
Ben says
The islamic countries should fund UNRWA. Non islamic countries shouldn’t pay 1 cent to that organisation.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
Yes. But the Western countries are soft-hearted and soft-minded. Just two — the U.S. and Germany — supply fully half of all the money UNRWA receives. In the last year — 2022 — for which figures have been made public, the U.S. provided $344 million. Meanwhile,fabulously rich Saudi Arabia gave UNRWA $27 million. And the Saudis’ most recent donation to UNRWA was for $2 million. Why are non-mkslims supporting any Muslims anywhere? They regard us as “the most vile of created being.” Should we support people who think of usthat way?
Kenneth Johnson says
And of course the definition of refugees needing aid AFTER 75 YERS IS LUDICROUS AND NEEDS TO BE REFORMEDE TOO, ASAP. ken
Kenneth Johnson says
Lazzarina is alarmed at the cut in (aid) by several countries. (Aid mto Hamas) more like nd he is a party to this. He has refgused to reform th schokol booksd, wic h is a small thing to do,,and irresponsibler not to do. He has been advised olf the antisemitic views of his his staff and has coned nokthiong. He is irresponsible and shokulkd be removed. How did he get into a posiion of responsibility anywsay?? He i suppose to represent the couintries donating to the causek, bujt in steas UNWRA repredsents the Mujslem cauuse with WESTERN money. Any Masdter Sergeant in the4 US Army understands more aboput respopnsibility than this ( ” ”” : KEN
Keith O says
It must really piss off the hamas leadership to have their bank accounts being affected by civilised nations finally standing up against them.
How are the poor poppets going to afford the BMW they had their eyes on?
Jack Reynolds says
PART 2 of the MOOSE-ILUM article.
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OK the second shoe has fallen now. If you have not read Part 1 yet a link is provided at the bottom, and you should read that before continuing.
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As I wrote the first part (at the link below) I was thinking about GAZA, and the World’s problems with places like GAZA.
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Mohammad was a Military Leader, not a Philosopher. In some respects, Islam resembles a Religion, but at its core is a CULT-LIKE strategy for World Dominance. That is frequently referred to as POLITICAL ISLAM. Rather than argue that point let me provide an example.
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GAZA – Population at 20 Year Intervals
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• 1948 – 200,000
• 1968 – 400,000
• 1988 – 800,000
• 2008 – 1,600,000
• 2024 – 2,400,000
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Islam’s strategy for World Domination is built on increasing populations as quickly as possible. The Qur’an warms Muslims to remain ‘quiet’ while their numbers are low and wait until things change. That strategy worked well for Centuries, but as time progressed it started to fall apart. The Islamic World was unable to keep up with Europe and its advances in Technology. Islam’s last great ‘success’ came during the cover of World War One, when from 1915 to 1921, the Turks slaughtered 2 Million Christian Armenians. The slaughter continued in secret well after Turkey was defeated and signed a peace treaty. But there was no way to hide the Armenian Genocide forever in the Modern World.
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In 1948 GAZA was a nice place to live in and had great promise, but a small group with extreme views soon took control. Among Islamic populations it is dangerous to oppose the extreme religious bigots. There is constant pressure for all to adopt the views of the most ‘religious’ in each group, those who seem to worship Allah more. No one wants to appear to be ANTI-ISLAMIC so out of fear for their safety they go-along. Things work that way in the smallest and the largest of crowds. It’s been that way for 1400 years now. Islam dictates every aspect of a Muslim’s life.
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I do not know how many people familiar with situation in ISRAEL read my initial post, but most likely got it right away. A Caliphate in Canada or any other country would expand until its resources became depleted and another GAZA would be created. The only solution to GAZA-like scenarios is a significant reform of ISLAM, and allowing the Qur’an that has remained unchanged since the days of Mohammed, to catch up with the Modern World.
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Side Note – The UN
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Twenty years ago the UN encourages Migration but clearly stated that it had to be at the advantage of the Country receiving foreign populations. Today the UN is dominated by a large number small Islamic countries and its rules now claim that Nations have an obligation to accept Refugees. Borders are no longer sacrosanct, and countries are expected to take in as many ‘Refugees’ as want to cross their borders.
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Sorry, but that’s just nuts. Any nation that accepts that as Truth is committing SUICIDE.
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Part 1 – Announcing two new Caliphates – East and West Moose-Ilum
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https://open.substack.com/pub/rocanada/p/moose-ilum?r=xbq8f&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true
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Goofy says
He and his UNRWA deserve their day in court in the Hague. Who will take that initiative?
Or is rape, enslavement of captives and decapitations protected under religious freedom?