Lawmakers push to stop flow of U.S. tax dollars to 'anti-Israel' U.N. office

"Lawmakers in both the House and Senate formally introduced legislation that would halt U.S. funding to a United Nations agency that’s been accused of promoting antisemitism and financing affiliates of terrorist groups.

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, on Friday introduced a bill targeting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which supports Palestinian refugees. According to Roy, the agency is an ‘anti-Israel’ vehicle that spreads hatred for Jews.

‘UNRWA's lengthy and detailed history of promoting antisemitism, violence, and terrorism through 'educational' materials, and its continued ties to Hamas, should completely disqualify this corrupt entity from receiving any U.S. taxpayer funding,’ Roy said in a statement. ‘UNRWA has failed to meet previous commitments to stop its hostility toward Israel, and it is an obstacle to peace.’

‘Israel is one of our greatest allies and closest friends,’ he continued. ‘We cannot say we truly stand with them while helping prop up a corrupt organization like this. If our actions do not match our words, then our word means nothing.’

Roy's comments came two days after Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

‘UNRWA has a long history of employing people connected to terrorist movements like Hamas, promoting antisemitic textbooks, and using its schools to store Hamas weapons. It is unthinkable that U.S. taxpayer dollars would be used to help fund such an organization,’ Risch said in a statement. ‘This legislation will cease U.S. contributions to UNRWA unless the administration certifies that the agency is not affiliated with U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations and does not support antisemitic rhetoric. My colleagues and I will continue working to hold the administration and UNRWA accountable until consequential reforms are made.’

UNRWA has repeatedly come under fire for providing educational materials that incite violence against Jews and Israel. According to an analysis by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education, for example, Palestinian textbooks produced by UNRWA include content promoting terrorism, spreading antisemitism, and denying Israel's existence.

Newly supplied textbooks from last year described Jews as ‘impure’ and ‘inherently treacherous and hostile to Islam and Muslims.’..."