Israel鈥檚 ruthless campaign to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is unravelling.
The lynchpin in Israel鈥檚 effort was a thin dossier that claimed 12 individuals were Hamas operatives who had been involved in the October 7 attacks. Within a matter of days, two internal investigations began, various individuals were sacked, and US$450 million worth of funding from donor states suspended.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA鈥檚 head,聽聽the聽media on March 4 he has 鈥渘ever been informed鈥� or received evidence of Israel鈥檚 claims substantiating their assertions, although he did receive Israeli officials鈥� prompt about the 12.
Every year, Israel and the Palestinian authorities are furnished with staff lists 鈥渁nd I never received the slightest concern about the staff that we have been employing鈥�.
Had Israeli authorities signed off on these alleged participants in bungling or conspiratorial understanding?
There was more than a whiff of distraction about it all, given that Israel had come off poorly in The Hague proceedings launched by South Africa.
There was a wave of initial success in starving the agency of funding, with a number of countries announcing plans to freeze theirs. Irate members of the United States Congress accused the UNRWA of having 鈥渓ongstanding connections to terrorism and promotion of antisemitism鈥�.
础听聽titled, 鈥淯NRWA Exposed: Examining the Agency鈥檚 Mission and Failures鈥� with Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies聽聽supposedly incited 鈥渧iolence against Israel, subsidizes US-designated terrorist organizations, denies Palestinians their basic human rights and blocks the pathways to a sustainable peace between Israel and the Palestinians鈥�.
But the attempt to obliterate UNRWA has not worked. Questions were asked about the 12 alleged militants and media outlets聽聽the numbers.
Funding is being resumed. Canada, for instance,聽聽鈥渢he robust investigative process underway鈥� and acknowledged that 鈥渕ore can be done to respond to the urgent needs of Palestinian civilians鈥�.
Thomas Woodley, president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East聽聽the initial funding cancellation had been 鈥渁 reckless political decision that never should have been made鈥�.
The Swedish government聽聽by UNWRA鈥檚 undertakings 鈥渢o allow independent auditing, strengthen internal supervision and enable additional staff controls鈥�, promising an initial outlay of 200 million kroner (US$19 million).
Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade,聽聽it would 鈥渕onitor closely to ensure UNRWA follows through on what it has promised鈥�.
Aid policy spokesperson for the Christian Democrats, Gudrun Bruneg氓rd, also conceded that, given Gazans鈥� 鈥渉uge鈥� needs, UNRWA was 鈥渢he organisation that is best positioned to help vulnerable Palestinians鈥�.
Much the same was expressed by the European Union, with the Commission agreeing to pay 50 million Euros to UNRWA, from a promised total of 82 million Euros, on the proviso that EU-appointed experts audit the screening of staff.
鈥淭his audit,鈥� the European Commission聽, 鈥渨ill review the control systems to prevent the possible involvement of its staff and assets in terrorist activities鈥�.
Having been found wanting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen did a screeching about-turn and insisted that the EU stood 鈥渂y the Palestinian people in Gaza and elsewhere in the region. Innocent Palestinians should not have to pay the price for the crimes of [the] terrorist group Hamas [sic].鈥�
Commissioner Oliv茅r V谩rhelyi expressed satisfaction at 鈥渢he commitment of UNRWA to introduce robust measures to prevent possible misconduct and minimise the risk of allegations鈥�.
At no point was Israel鈥檚 insatiable vendetta against UNWRA mentioned.
The bombast by Israel was further discoloured by聽claims from the agency that UNRWA staff had been victims of torture at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in drafting the dossier.
UNRWA said: 鈥淭hese forced confessions as a result of torture are being used by the Israeli Authorities to further spread misinformation about the agency as part of attempts to dismantle UNRWA.鈥�
In doing so Israel was 鈥減utting our staff at risk and has serious implications on our operations in Gaza and around the region鈥�.
The IDF聽聽this was exaggerated: 鈥淭he mistreatment of detainees during their time in detention or whilst under interrogation violates IDF values and contravenes IDF [sic] and is therefore absolutely prohibited.鈥�
Despite growing concern about the allegations, Israel declared that 450 URWA employees in Gaza were members of militant groups, including Hamas.
Those making that allegation decided that evidence of such claims was not needed. Those employees,聽聽Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari 鈥渁re military operatives in terror groups in Gaza鈥�.
鈥淭his was no coincidence. This is systematic. There is no claiming, 鈥榃e did not know鈥�.鈥�
In the fog of war, mendacity thrives. But the suggestion by various donor states聽鈥斅燗ustralia being a notable exception 鈥斅爄s that the humanitarian incentive to ameliorate Gazans鈥� suffering must take precedence over Israel鈥檚 allegations.
[Binoy Kampmark lectures at RMIT University.]