UK response to ICJ ruling: cut funding to agency helping Palestinian refugees

Rishi Sunak and Benjamin Netanyahu: is this the reason the UK responded to the ICJ’s ruling over genocide charges against Israel by suspending funding of aid to Palestinian refugees, rather than suspending arms exports to Israel?

The UK’s Tory government has responded to a ruling by the International Court of Justice that Israel is now on trial for genocide – by cutting aid to the UN agency that provides help for Palestinian refugees.

Is that not the correct way to view the cessation of funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which works to provide health care, education and other humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and employs around 13,000 people in Gaza?

Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!

The announcement follows allegations – from that bastion of dishonesty, the Israeli government – that people working for the UNRWA were involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

According to the BBC,

Mark Regev said there was information showing teachers working in UNRWA schools had “openly celebrated” the 7 October attacks.

He also referred to an Israeli hostage who, on her release, said she had been “held in the house of someone who worked for UNRWA”.

“They have a union which is controlled by Hamas and I think it’s high time that the UN investigated these links between UNRWA and Hamas,” he added.

This Writer would not trust that man to tell me the correct time.

But his claims have been supported by the fact that the UNRWA has launched an investigation into them – and sacked several staff before it has had a chance to report back.

The UK joins the US, Australia, Italy, Canada and Finland, who have already suspended funding to the agency.

The UNRWA’s former chief spokesperson, Christopher Gunness, said the suspension of funding was disproportionate and could only lead to further suffering:

“One million displaced people are currently taking refuge in and around UNRWA buildings. They are the ones who will suffer as a result of this decision,” said Mr Gunness, adding: “The curtailing of UNRWA services will also destabilise the region at a time when Western governments are trying to contain a regional conflagration.”

This is a view that is widely-held on the social media:

But what should the UK have done?

Well…

Would that not have been the more obvious choice?


Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:

1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the right margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.

2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical

3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com

5) Join the uPopulus group at https://upopulus.com/groups/vox-political/

6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical

7) Feel free to comment!

And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

Leave A Comment