Washington, DC – Congressional leaders in the US have proposed a spending invoice that will avert a authorities shutdown however ban funding for the United Nations Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Endorsed by the highest Republican and Democratic legislators within the Home and the Senate, the $1.2 trillion invoice launched Thursday morning would guarantee steady funding for giant swaths of the US federal authorities, together with the Departments of State and Protection.
It’s not unusual for US legislators to make use of so-called “should cross” payments to advance their coverage priorities and UNRWA has been within the crosshairs of pro-Israel members of Congress for years.
Israel has accused the UN company, which offers very important companies to tens of millions of Palestinian refugees in Gaza and throughout the Center East, of hyperlinks to Hamas, though with scant proof.
The funding invoice says US funds “will not be used for a contribution, grant, or different fee” to UNRWA till March 2025.
The US has been UNRWA’s largest donor. If handed, the ban would nearly actually result in a humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the place UN specialists have mentioned famine is looming on account of Israel’s blockade of the occupied territory.
UNRWA performs a pivotal position in delivering worldwide assist to Gaza and operating shelters for the lots of of hundreds of displaced Palestinians.
That is the second invoice within the US Congress this 12 months that has proposed a prohibition on funds for UNRWA. Final month, the Senate handed overseas help laws that would supply $14bn to Israel whereas additionally banning funds to UNRWA.
However whereas that invoice, which additionally contains assist to Ukraine, has hit hurdles within the Republican-controlled Home, Thursday’s bipartisan proposal is more likely to be permitted on Friday.
If the broader funding invoice doesn’t cross, a number of US businesses would begin to run out of cash Saturday, main to what’s often known as a shutdown, when sure features of the federal government stop to function.
Below the US Structure, solely Congress can approve cash allotted for presidency features. Lately, the specter of shutdowns have turn out to be extra frequent amid rising partisanship on Capitol Hill, resulting in legislative impasses.
Rights advocates and Western officers have warned that de-funding UNRWA would exacerbate the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and destablise Center Japanese nations with giant Palestinian refugee populations, together with Lebanon.
Earlier this 12 months, the Israeli authorities mentioned 12 members of the UN company participated in Hamas’s October 7 assault on southern Israel.
UNRWA opened an investigation into the allegations. The UN additionally appointed an impartial panel to overview the company.
The Israeli accusations prompted greater than a dozen Western nations, led by the US, to pause assist to UNRWA. However in a report seen by many media retailers final month, UNRWA mentioned Israeli forces tortured a number of of its employees members in Gaza to get them to confess to hyperlinks to Hamas.
Nevertheless, the administration of US President Joe Biden has saved the suspension in place, regardless of acknowledging on a number of events that UNRWA’s work is important for Palestinians.
The White Home has backed each the overseas and home spending payments that will ban funding to UNRWA.
“The Administration urges the Congress to ship this essential laws to the President’s desk for signature at once and to shortly pivot to the bipartisan nationwide safety supplemental,” the White Home mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson additionally welcomed the proposal, hailing the ban on UNRWA funding as a victory for his political occasion.
“Importantly, it halts funding for the UN company which employed terrorists who participated within the October 7 assaults towards Israel,” Johnson mentioned in a press release.
The Republican-controlled Home Appropriations Committee lauded pro-Israel measures within the invoice as nicely, together with de-funding UNRWA and “unprecedented conditionality” on funds to the UN to fight what the panel known as “anti-Israel bias”.
However Congressman Ro Khanna, a progressive Democrat, vowed to vote towards the measure, citing the UNRWA provision.
“I’ll vote no on this invoice that bans assist to youngsters in Gaza who’re dying of starvation,” he wrote towards the measure.
“Overlook the politics & procedural jargon. It is a check of first rules. The America I consider in mustn’t ever be detached to the person made hunger of youngsters.”
I’ll vote no on this invoice that bans assist to youngsters in Gaza who’re dying of starvation. Overlook the politics & procedural jargon. It is a check of first rules. The America I consider in mustn’t ever be detached to the person made hunger of youngsters. https://t.co/Zqp5rFeb2R
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) March 21, 2024