Sen. Ted Cruz accuses UN company of supporting ‘Hamas conflict machine,’ urges Biden admin to halt funding

JERUSALEM – The Biden administration’s large monetary assist for the scandal-ridden U.N. company for Palestinians within the Gaza Strip was hit by a name from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to scrap U.S. funds for it as a consequence of its alleged advantages for the Hamas terror motion.

“The USA ought to instantly halt funding to UNRWA and work to interchange it with a extra accountable group. UNRWA supplies direct profit to Hamas by distributing assets throughout the Gaza Strip that go straight into the Hamas conflict machine, which implies their actions pose a direct menace to Israelis and People,” Cruz informed Fox Information Digital in a press release.

UNRWA is the acronym for the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestine Refugees within the Close to East. The Biden administration has pumped $1 billion of taxpayer cash into UNRWA since 2021.

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Biden’s funding for UNRWA is within the crosshairs of congressional oversight as some representatives accuse the company of being complicit in its assist of Hamas in Gaza.  

Cruz, who has spearheaded efforts over time to root out corruption at U.N. companies, added, “No person denies that help that goes into the Gaza Strip. When Joe Biden turned president, his administration knew that restarting help to UNRWA would illegally profit Hamas terrorists, however they gave themselves exemptions from anti-terrorism legal guidelines and did it anyway. They didn’t care and neither does UNRWA, they usually’re nonetheless engaged in benefiting Hamas terrorists after October 7.”

John Kirby, U.S. Nationwide Safety Council spokesman, mentioned final week, “U.N. Reduction Company does vital work. In truth, they’re doing loads of heavy lifting proper now by way of making an attempt to get meals, water, drugs to the folks of Gaza, all up and down the Strip. They’re doing loads of work, they usually’re doing it in hurt’s approach – very a lot so in hurt’s approach.”

He added “And you may’t maintain them accountable for the depredations of Hamas and the best way Hamas makes use of civilian infrastructure, together with hospitals, to – for command and management, for storage of weapons, for the holding of hostages.”

David Bedein, director of the Middle for Close to East Coverage Analysis and an professional on UNRWA, produced a video in August titled “Askar—UNRWA: Cradle of Killers” purportedly exhibiting Palestinian kids inciting hatred in opposition to Jews and Israel on the Askar refugee camp close to the West Financial institution metropolis of Nablus.

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A younger boy who is claimed to be a pupil at an UNRWA faculty declares, “With Allah’s assist, they (the Jews) will all die.” Quite a few the alleged UNRWA faculty kids promise they may return to Israel and Israeli cities as a part of a Palestinian absorption of the Jewish state. “We are going to free Palestine and sacrifice martyrs to free Palestine,” says a second younger pupil. 

The realm they seek advice from as “Palestine” is utilized by the kids all through the brief documentary movie to cowl your complete territory of Israel. Since its launch, Bedein’s documentary went viral on social media, gaining tens of millions of views.

A Fox Information Digital report in November confirmed some academics and workers members of UNRWA praising the Hamas slaughter on Oct. 7. The U.S. and the E.U. have labeled Hamas as a overseas terrorist group.

When requested about Bedein’s movie expose, Juliette S. Touma, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, informed Fox Information Digital, “Assaults resembling these try and discredit the Company regardless of the lifesaving work it carries out. The most recent video, circulating on X (previously Twitter), makes an attempt to hyperlink UNRWA’s training system to violence, utilizing clips of alleged ‘UNRWA’ college students and academics.”

She added “The movies don’t painting the fact in UNRWA faculties. UNRWA dismisses these accusations within the strongest doable phrases. UNRWA firmly condemns the antisemitic and inflammatory statements made throughout a few of the interviews filmed. We even have severe issues across the potential hurt brought on to kids by the making and publication of those movies.”

Touma pressured that “UNRWA has zero tolerance for hate, discrimination or any motion that may very well be seen as taking sides in battle. UNRWA prides itself on offering a high quality training in step with U.N. rules to Palestine refugees. To make sure no controversial materials is taught in faculties, the Company undertakes common and meticulous assessment of all textbooks and studying supplies utilized by UNRWA faculties to make sure their compatibility with UN values and rules.”

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, rating member of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, who has sought laws to cease U.S. funding to UNRWA as a consequence of its alleged enabling of terrorism and antisemitism, mentioned final 12 months, “UNRWA has an extended historical past of using folks linked to terrorist actions like Hamas, selling antisemitic textbooks, and utilizing its faculties to retailer Hamas weapons. It’s unthinkable that U.S. taxpayer {dollars} could be used to assist fund such a corporation.”

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UNRWA faculties and amenities have served as weapons storage amenities over time for Hamas. Israel’s military situated “a variety of rocket launchers put in close to an UNRWA faculty,” in line with a report by the Israel-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Data Middle within the first week of January.

The U.S. State Division didn’t instantly reply to Fox Information Digital press queries.