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07/17/2006

UNRWA: The Perennial Obstacle To Peace

By Robert R. Guzzardi, Esquire and Robert B. Sklaroff, M.D.

This is how Congressman Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) initiated his dissection of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) during a Capital Hill seminar held this past Thursday.

For example, the definition of “refugees”-unique to UNRWA-not only includes the original “Palestine refugees” who may only have resided in Israel for two years-but also their descendents, even if they are citizens of other countries.

Yet, because it receives 25 percent of its funds from U.S. Taxpayers, it is supposed to comply with Section 301c of the Foreign Assistance Act and, thus, “all possible measures” are supposed to be taken to prevent these monies from being given to terrorists. But Rep. Kirk noted that to date, UNRWA has not taken any possible measure to ensure Americans do not fund the terrorists who have shelled Israel and kidnapped her soldiers.

He cited the case of UNRWA employees who ran for election on the Hamas ticket, and when they failed to win seats, returned to UNRWA and asked for their jobs back. Mr. Kirk pointed out that, according to the General Accounting Office, no grant to any Palestinian Arab has ever been curtailed-for any reason-by UNRWA!

In addition, UNRWA-advocates attending this seminar did not deny that textbooks used in UNRWA-funded schools contained anti-Semitic references. Indeed, according to UNRWA’s brochure, schooling “is UNRWA’s largest area of activity and accounts for half of the Agency’s regular budget and two-thirds of its staff ... UNRWA uses the curriculum of the host authorities” uncritically, instead of mandating that intolerance be expunged therefrom.

Rep. Kirk’s bill “H.R. 5278 - The UNRWA Integrity Act” would amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to assist Palestinians living in Gaza and Judea/Samaria achieve post-refugee status.

Under this Act, the President must certify to Congress that UNRWA is subject to comprehensive financial audits by an internationally recognized, independent auditing firm; does not provide employment, refuge, assistance or support of any kind to members of foreign terrorist organizations; does not promote denial of Israel’s right to exist or anti-Semitism; and ceases serving as an impediment to finding a lasting solution for Palestinian refugees residing in the region.

The host-organization of this breakfast meeting was the non-profit, non-partisan Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. JINSA advocates changing the mandate of UNRWA from “maintaining” Palestinian refugees to resettling them, mirroring the pr actices of UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). This would allow Palestinians to obtain the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in countries that agreed to resettle them, and lessen the sense of grievance that accompanies permanent statelessness. The current situation, JINSA believes, makes Palestinians easy prey for radical movements and terrorist groups.

Rep. Kirk appeared to support folding UNRWA into a UNHCR framework, for he reported that each UNHCR employee supports 2800 refugees, whereas each UNRWA employee supports only 185 refugees. He suggested that employment practices in UNRWA should mirror UNHCR as well, moving from hiring 99 percent of its staff from the population it serves, Palestinian Arabs, to a more “international” representation.

Also, JINSA would mandate that educational funding cease until an expert panel including Americans and Israelis certifies that all textbooks used in all UNRWA-administered schools are free of racist, anti-Jewish and a nti-Israeli propaganda. Maps finally must include “Israel.”

The seminar was keynoted by Sen. Norman Coleman (R-Minn.) who is deeply enmeshed in comprehensive efforts to achieve UN reform. During the “Question and Answer” dialogue, he reassured a Palestinian-American in the audience that he shares the goals of those who want to preserve support for these women and children, while making UNRWA transparent and accountable to American taxpayers.

Sen. Coleman also lamented that the sole agenda item enacted by the newly created UN Human Rights Council was condemnation of Israel despite, for example, the ongoing genocide in Darfur. He noted the capacity of America to exert fiscal leverage to fix the UN, and posed the challenge as to whether the United States Congress has the political will to do so.

Rep. Kirk emphasized the need to enforce accountability and transparency. He described UNRWA’s failure to provide documentation of how US taxpayer monies are being spent, as “arrogan t.” He doesn’t want a portion of all UNRWA transactions to be funneled to Arab terrorists who take advantage of the plight of Arab Palestinians. He professed his ongoing familiarity investigating such graft both in government and international organizations.

We must not tolerate, he concluded, the status quo. “The Mob must not be permitted to take over the camps!”

Mr. Guzzardi is a businessman and philanthropist. Dr. Sklaroff is an oncologist, hematologist and internist.