Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Israel Institute says NZ taxpayers are funding extremism

Israel Institute of New Zealand co-director, Dr David Cumin, is calling for a moratorium on any further Kiwi taxpayer funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) until serious issues of corruption, antisemitism and extremism within that agency are resolved.

UNRWA was established in 1949 and is the UN agency tasked with delivering relief and works programmes for Palestinian refugees. It is almost entirely funded by voluntary contributions from UN member States - including New Zealand, which recently committed a further $3 million to support core UNRWA programmes between 2019 and 2021.

However, Dr Cumin is calling for this payment to be reversed and further funding withheld until serious issues within UNRWA are resolved.

“UNRWA doesn’t work toward addressing the Palestine/Israel conflict - it perpetuates it. UNRWA school textbooks have recently been found to display extreme anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments; UNRWA staff have posted antisemitic material and supported terrorism on social media; and UNRWA schools have been used to store weapons for terror groups and as cover for the entries to terror tunnels”.

Dr Cumin says that, despite these issues being well documented, the New Zealand government has never raised public concerns about any of them.

“The United States withdrew funding for UNRWA in 2018, labelling the organisation an ‘irredeemably flawed operation’ - yet New Zealand continues to provide funding as if all is well with the agency”.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Sending millions of dollars to a corrupt organisation that works against peace does not seem to be in keeping with the MFAT commitment to “making our aid effective and to delivering value for investment of taxpayer funds”.

“This is all the more bizarre, give our recent focus on tackling extremism”.

Dr Cumin says that the decision to extend further funding to UNRWA is also at odds with comments made by Prime Minister Ardern in which she talks about the need to “pursue equal rights for all” - nor her suggestions that she thinks some areas of the UN need reform.

“Of all the areas of the UN that require reform, UNRWA would be a strong contender for the top spot - and the willingness of the Prime Minister to continue support for a group so tainted by links to terrorist organisations, runs entirely counter our current push to crack down on extremism”

Dr Cumin has also slammed statements from Craig Hawke, Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations, in which he is quoted as saying “UNRWA is an important stabilizing force for peace in the region”.

“This is at odds with all of the available evidence and ignores the massive systemic problems within UNRWA. To support this agency, as it currently operates, is to support extremism”.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.