The authorities of Ireland, Spain, Norway, and Slovenia have condemned Israel’s decision to ban the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
The governments of Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, and Norway condemn the approval by the Knesset (Israel’s unicameral parliament) of legislation that prevents UNRWA from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the communiqué says. “UNRWA has a mandate from the UN General Assembly.”
The agency’s work is important for millions of Palestinian refugees in the region, particularly in the current context in Gaza, the statement said, and the Israeli initiative “creates a very serious precedent for the work of the UN and all organizations of the multilateral system.”
Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain will continue to work with donor and host countries to ensure the viability of UNRWA’s work and its humanitarian role. This was stated in a joint statement by the four countries, which was distributed by the Spanish Foreign Ministry
On Monday, Israel’s Parliament (Knesset) passed a law banning UNRWA activities in Israel. 92 members voted for the document, and 10 voted against it. The law prohibits UNRWA from having offices or conducting “any activity” or providing any service inside Israel according to a 1967 treaty, including the areas of annexed East Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Israeli lawmakers also voted to declare UNRWA a terror group, effectively banning any direct interaction between the UN agency and the Israeli state.
