Central Louisiana News

In a letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, Pete Ricketts, Tim Scott, Jim Risch, and 23 Republican colleagues demanded an "immediate and permanent prohibition" of U.S. aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The senators were prompted to take this action following last week's revelation that 12 UNRWA staff members were directly involved in the October 7th attack on Israel. Additionally, a Wall Street Journal report indicated that around 10% of UNRWA's staff have ties to Islamic militant groups.

In their letter, the senators stated, "Let us be crystal clear: last week's revelation that UNRWA staff members played a part in the October 7 attacks is not an example of a few bad apples acting out of turn. Instead, it is emblematic of an organization where no investigation or subsequent corrective measures will ever be enough to cure the rot that is so clearly endemic to its mission."

The senators also highlighted the need to permanently stop all contributions to UNRWA, emphasizing that Senate Republicans have introduced several bills in Congress to achieve this goal. They pointed to the UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act as one such measure.

Furthermore, the senators requested that any supplemental package aimed at providing necessary assistance to Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists include an immediate and permanent prohibition against U.S. contributions to UNRWA.

The letter was signed by Cassidy, Ricketts, Scott, Risch, and their Republican colleagues, including Ted Budd, John Barrasso, Thom Tillis, Mike Crapo, Markwayne Mullin, John Hoeven, Steve Daines, Marco Rubio, Tommy Tuberville, Kevin Cramer, Mitt Romney, Mike Braun, Deb Fischer, John Cornyn, Katie Boyd Britt, Eric Schmitt, John Kennedy, Ron Johnson, Joni Ernst, and Susan Collins.

The senators' call for a ban on U.S. aid to UNRWA aligns with the Trump Administration's decision in 2018 to halt contributions to the organization, citing it as an "irredeemably flawed operation." However, the Biden Administration reversed this decision, and since 2021, the U.S. has provided over $730 million to UNRWA, making it the largest individual donor.

While the State Department has temporarily paused additional funding for UNRWA as it reviews allegations and the steps taken by the United Nations to address them, the senators disagree with the White House National Security Council spokesman's statement that the actions of some UNRWA members should not impugn the entire agency. They firmly believe that this revelation does impugn the entire agency.

In conclusion, the Republican senators are urging for a permanent prohibition on U.S. aid to UNRWA due to its association with Hamas and the organization's failure to address corruption, antisemitism, and support for terrorism. They emphasize the need to support Israel in its fight against Hamas and request that any supplemental package include the proposed prohibition on U.S. contributions to UNRWA.