"Western countries’ announcement that they were halting UNRWA funding, without which the agency cannot function, is a significant development. It reflects the realization that has been gradually dawning upon the West for some time, and more so following the war in Gaza, whereby the term “international community” - at the center of which lies the UN - serves as a cynical front for dark forces that, while manipulatively waving the banner of liberty, truth and ethics, also rely on oppression and war crimes."
"Concretely, Israel should promote the merging of UNRWA - which has provided services solely to Palestinians since its establishment in 1949 - with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and limit the aid eligibility currently provided to generations of 1948 Palestinians, even if they no longer live in refugee camps or have settled down permanently across the globe. The limiting or dissolution of UNRWA’s education systems must also be explored, as they have often served as incubators for extremism and incitement.
To further this goal, Israel must formulate an organized plan consisting of steps designed to convince the international community - including the Arab world - of the justness of this cause while suggesting how to provide the large Palestinian population that depends on UNRWA with the civic aid it requires in the absence of this UN agency."
*The opinions expressed in MDC publications are the authors’ alone.