A spokesperson for the Israeli government accused the Canadian government of indirectly funding terror through its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
Ilana Stein, the National Public Diplomacy Directorate’s head of international affairs, condemned Canada’s decision to continue funding UNRWA at a press conference.
“The taxpayer should know that their money is funding terror, as simple as that. And do they want their money to help terrorists, build tunnels, educate children on how to kill and that they should kill? And train them how to do so? Is that the best way for the taxpayer’s money to be used?” Stein said, in response to a question from the Canadian TV station the News Forum.
The federal government’s decision to resume funding after a brief pause has raised concerns among some Canadian lawmakers, including Liberal MPs Anthony Housefather and Marco Mendicino, who have advocated for a complete halt in Canadian support for UNRWA.
Housefather and Mendicino expressed deep concerns over allegations of UNRWA staff involvement in terrorism and the distribution of antisemitic materials in an open letter to the government released last week.
These allegations linking some UNRWA staff members to Hamas attacks against Israel first emerged in October and were later acknowledged by the UN agency itself..
Among the accusations are claims of involvement in grave activities such as kidnapping, distributing ammunition, and participating in a massacre that resulted in the deaths of 97 Jewish civilians.
The Israeli government has provided a dossier to the United States government outlining the alleged roles of several individuals in the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7.
These allegations have fueled suspicions that funds directed towards UNRWA may have been diverted to support Hamas activities.
The Israeli spokesperson emphasized the need for a reconsideration of taxpayer funds, questioning whether supporting an organization with such allegations aligns with Canada’s interests in promoting peace and stability in the region.
“If we want Gaza to have a bright future…you can’t keep on giving the money to an organization that taught hate (and) facilitated and was part of a massacre. And it’s not just a few, we have evidence of a lot of people. There’s no way that people who are running this organization did not know this, so that means that there has to be another solution,” said Stein.
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