Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and a group of fellow Republicans are trying to stop further US funding to a UN group in the Gaza Strip whose staff has incited violence against Jews — after the Biden administration has funneled more than $730 million to the organization.
House Senate GOPers introduced a bill this week to block funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been accused of creating an antisemitic school curriculum for students in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, as well as ignoring terrorist activities in the convenience.
The funding will be restored after Iran, the country that supports and finances Hamas, “is expelled from the UN and investigated for violating the genocide convention,” Blackburn said earlier this week.
“All this money should be locked up,” Blackburn told The Post in an interview in which he criticized Biden’s decision to freeze billions in Iranian assets as part of a prisoner swap last month.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and GOP senators are working to end US funding to a UN group in the Gaza Strip that has hired staff who have incited violence against Jews.Getty Images
“The $6 billion should be locked. Sanctions should be implemented,” said Blackburn. “Even last week, we saw aid coming into Gaza. Who ends up getting that help? That’s Hamas.”
The Tennessee Republican also referred to UNRWA having “hired people affiliated with Hamas” and allowed their facilities to be “used to store weapons and ammunition” for the jihadists, who on October 7 killed more than 1,400 people in a surprise attack on southern Israel.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, the Hamas massacre was also the worst attack on Israel in its 75-year history, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the terror group.
Senate Republicans introduced a bill this week to block funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has been accused of hiding terrorist activities. AFP via Getty Images
UNRWA has employed educators who “constantly call for the killing of Jews” and teach from textbooks “that glorify violence, promote martyrdom, insult Israel and incite antisemitism,” according to a March report by the non-governmental organization UN Watch and the Israeli nonprofit. Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education.
Since the US cannot legally fund the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, the Biden administration has given the lion’s share of its funding to UNRWA, which serves millions of refugees in the West Bank and Gaza.
The Trump administration denounced the group in 2018, calling it an “irredeemably flawed operation.”
“All this money should be locked up,” Blackburn told The Post in an interview, as he also criticized Biden’s decision to freeze billions in Iranian assets as part of a prisoner swap.AP
But Biden reversed that decision, choosing to funnel hundreds of millions to the organization through his administration since taking office in 2021.
“One would think that he would keep those things [former President Donald] Trump has put what actually works on the global stage,” Blackburn told The Post. “Not only did he go back to funding them after Trump stopped the money, he increased the money.”
“I think what you have in this administration are people who are sympathetic to some of these organizations,” he said. “They think you can appease some of these terrorist organizations. You cannot negotiate with them.”
UNRWA has employed educators who “constantly call for the killing of Jews” and teach from textbooks “that glorify violence, promote martyrdom, insult Israel and incite antisemitism.” Reuters
“If you put money into some organization like UNRWA, the money will end up in the hands of Hamas. Hamas is not there to provide humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, Hamas has in their charter, their goal is to destroy Israel,” according to Blackburn.
Biden’s State Department has approved grants to UNRWA and other organizations in the Palestinian territories, raising concerns from experts who have told The Post that some “guards” exist to prevent the money from falling into the wrong hands.
A 2021 State Department memo also indicates that US officials are aware there is a “high risk Hamas could potentially benefit indirectly and unintendedly from US aid to Gaza,” the Washington Free Beacon previously reported.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, the Hamas massacre was also the worst attack on Israel in its 75-year history, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war.AP
In an Oval Office speech Thursday night, Biden urged Congress to approve $14 billion in emergency funding for Israel amid its war with Hamas, along with $60 billion in aid for Ukraine as Russia’s invasion of the country approaches its two-year anniversary.
The president said “time is of the essence” in approving the request, calling it “a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations.”
Blackburn said the statement by Biden was “insufficient for the challenges before us.”
“The $6 billion should be locked. Sanctions should be implemented,” said Blackburn. “Even last week, we saw aid coming into Gaza. Who ends up getting that help? It is Hamas.” Senate GOP
“Getting aid to Israel should be a priority,” Blackburn said. “I think it’s also disappointing, listening to his speech, that he never called out Iran.”
“He didn’t go after them for being the country’s biggest sponsor of terrorism,” he said. “He didn’t call out Hamas and Hezbollah and these terrorist organizations that are proxies of Iran.”
“He did not implement an oil embargo on Iran, which would prevent Iran from having access to money to finance terrorism and to finance the accumulation of nuclear weapons.”
Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marco Rubio of Florida, Katie Britt of Alabama, Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah also called on Biden to stop funding the UN group.Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Republican Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Marco Rubio of Florida, Katie Britt of Alabama, Rick Scott of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah have joined Blackburn in calling for an end to funding of the UN group.
He emphasized that members are looking “to build bipartisan support” for the bill, as well as to increase aid to Israel.
In a separate letter with 19 other Republicans, Blackburn also called on the Biden administration to ensure $6 billion in Iranian assets were seized.
The Treasury Department sought to reassure Blackburn and other lawmakers earlier this week that Qatari officials, who now own the funds, would not let the assets out of their control.
GOP lawmakers are not alone in calling for UNRWA funding. Republican presidential candidates Doug Burgum and Nikki Haley have also argued for a Biden administration stop sending funds to organizations that “foster hatred against Israel.”
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
