Article:
The US administration has recently been accused of pressuring Israeli lawmakers into dismissing a bill that targets a United Nations agency with alleged links to terrorism. The agency in question, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), has long been seen as an organization that is purportedly biased against Israel and supportive of anti-Israel activities.
The bill was set forth by Likud Party member and Israeli lawmaker, Shlomo Karhi, with the support of pluralistic party members, intending to ban UNRWA’s activities in East Jerusalem. UNRWA has been delivering education, health care, relief and social services to Palestine refugees across the Arab world since 1949. However, UNRWA’s alleged association with anti-Israel sentiment and activities has long been a bone of contention between Israel and the agency.
Karhi’s initiative was an attempt to put an end to the organization’s operations within East Jerusalem, citing provocative activities against Israel. However, Brock Bierman, the Biden-Harris appointee who serves as the Envoy for Middle East Peace, had allegedly tried to hinder the passage of this legislation.
Some reports indicated that Bierman had met with two coalition members of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and insisted on cancelling Karhi’s proposal. The lawmakers Bierman approached were from Blue and White and New Hope parties, both paramount to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s coalition government.
The matter swiftly turned into a controversy in Israel, with Bierman’s alleged intervention sparking criticism from local political figures. Karhi verbalized his dissent, claiming, It’s not American democracy to intervene in legislation of other states. I will continue to act for the benefit of the residents of East Jerusalem who are suffering from UNRWA.
This occurrence has underscored the longstanding tensions between the US Democrats and their Israeli counterparts over UNRWA. While the US administration under Biden has resumed aid to UNRWA, reversing former President Trump’s cessation, Israeli hardliners continue to perceive UNRWA as an adversarial force. The restoration of funding to UNRWA has been championed by Biden’s team as a move towards ameliorating the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, although vehemently contested by Israeli lawmakers.
At the heart of this discord lies the question of whether international aid perpetuates the conflict or contributes to its resolution. Proponents of the bill argue that UNRWA’s presence bolsters and sustains a refugee status quo, thereby indirectly fueling the strife and allowing it to persist, while those opposing the bill contend that the agency’s humanitarian efforts are indispensable to easing the pain of Palestine refugees.
In any case, international players’ actions are inevitably viewed through the lens of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The current issue concerning UNRWA perhaps serves as a reflective microcosm, where the delicate nature of the Israel-US relationship and the sensitivity of Israeli-Palestinian relations are laid bare. As Israeli lawmakers grapple with the decision on the UNRWA bill, it is clear that the outcome will have profound implications on the region and its fraught dynamics.