UK response to ICJ ruling: cut funding to agency helping Palestinian refugees
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?
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:
The daily arrival of new atrocities can overwhelm people and saturate memories, but I hope history will remember how the British government responded to the highest legal body on earth’s charges against Israel – with practically, directly encouraging the collective death of Gaza. https://t.co/lJr3mCT0gN
— Marcus Barnett (@marcusbarnett_) January 27, 2024
The same time Britain is arming Israel, and sending a spy plane over Gaza to assist the Israeli military, the government is now cutting funding to UNRWA in Gaza.
Britain is a direct participant in this genocide.
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) January 27, 2024
Cutting funding to UNWRA, which is LITERALLY a lifeline for babies, children, women and men in Gaza is COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT by the US and the UK
NOTHING justifies this
Our leaders are morally bankrupt, depraved and cruel beyond imagination
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) January 27, 2024
But what should the UK have done?
Well…
UK director of Human Rights Watch (herself a former foreign office lawyer) says ICJ judgment means Britain must suspend arms exports to Israel https://t.co/klVF4gKYZ4
— Phil Miller (@pmillerinfo) January 26, 2024
Would that not have been the more obvious choice?
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Fascist UK government immediately ceased funding the UNRWA and didn’t wait until an official investigation has been carried out. Reason is because fascist UK government are colluding with the fascist Israeli regime in committing genocide against Palestinian women, children and men.
However, this proves the fascist UK fake government aka this dictatorship can when they choose act immediately and they refuse to act by ceasing selling arms to Israel because ICJ rules there is a possibility of Israel committing genocide in Gaza.
So UK government is now culpable for colluding with the fascist Israeli regime in their continuing mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza.