The Israeli parliament resumed its work on Monday after a long recess, and one of the first items on the agenda was voting on a bill that enjoyed rare widespread popularity. The bill decreed that Israel will severe ties with the UN relied and work agency for Palestine refugees (UNWRA), which will heavily restrict the organisation’s ability to operate in Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. It passed with a majority of 92 for and 10 against, with even opposition members of the Knesset supporting the bill.
The bill was criticised by the UN, which threatened to suspend Israel’s membership. It was also criticised by Israel’s allies, including the US, UK and France, who argue that UNRWA has an essential role in providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
So why did Israel insist on passing the bill? UNRWA was funded in 1949 and gets its funding from the UN and from donor states. For years, it was known that UNRWA’s employees teach the most deplorable anti-Semitic content and glorify terrorism in schools, radicalising generations of Palestinians.