It is time for the United Nations to accept that Israel’s attack on its agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is an essential part of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people. This is not an accusation coming from a critic of Israel. It is a clear, on-the-record statement from the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, Arieh King, who, in January, invoked divine Jewish authority, proudly proclaiming, “God willing, we will expel, kill, eliminate, and destroy all UNRWA personnel.”As an agency founded specifically to serve Palestinian refugees after the creation of Israel in 1948, UNRWA has been involved in almost every aspect of the lives of millions of Palestinians. Its programmes span primary health, community mental health initiatives, education, relief and social services, mother and child healthcare, and refugee camp improvement.Moreover, UNRWA’s extensive and recently digitised archive contains property deeds and proof of land ownership, which can assist the Palestinians in securing compensation and the right of return, which many Israelis see as an existential threat to the Jewish state.UNRWA’s very existence, as a reminder of the Palestinians’ entitlement to a full range of inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, has always made the physical and po …
