Why are we determined to remove UNRWA from Jerusalem? - opinion

The author presents Israel’s operation at a former UNRWA compound in Jerusalem as an unavoidable act of enforcement, not a discretionary political choice. He says international condemnation was predictable, citing criticism from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the UN spokesperson and several European foreign ministers.

The central argument is that UNRWA no longer functioned as a humanitarian organization in practice. The author claims that employees took part in the October 7 massacre, including murder and kidnapping, and that Hamas fighters used UNRWA schools to store weapons and conduct military activities during the war.

He also alleges that thousands of UNRWA employees simultaneously held positions in Hamas’s military wings. According to the article, some taught in classrooms that incited hatred against Israel during the day while planning attacks on Israeli civilians at night. The author says reports from before October 7 had already documented incitement in UNRWA schools and argued that the agency perpetuated the Palestinian refugee issue rather than resolving it.

The article contrasts the international response to Israeli actions with what the author describes as silence when criticism targets the United Nations. He argues that Guterres and the UN spokesperson failed to issue unequivocal condemnations of terrorist acts allegedly carried out under the agency’s auspices, while Israeli operations received extensive condemnation and headlines.

The author backs the Knesset’s 2024 legislation, passed by an overwhelming cross-party majority, prohibiting UNRWA from operating in Israel. He also describes the subsequent action by Israeli authorities as justified and decisive.