Over the past several weeks, We have been following several stories regarding incitement in UNRWA’s school curriculum and UNRWA’s connection to Hamas. One of the few constants we run into that The Israel Civil Administration , also known as COGAT (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) seemed to always side with UNRWA or defend it, and went out of its way to defend UNRWA in an article on its site as soon as UNRWA declared that it would change its curriculum to one that teaches peace and tolerance.
Despite the fact that UNRWA has in the past lied about potential changes to its curriculum, when, for example, UNRWA officials raised funds for a holocaust curriculum, COGAT couldn’t be bothered to do its due diligence and investigate the rumors, and instead took UNRWA’s word for it.
Amazingly, nearly a month after the article was put out and three ays after UNRWA posted an article on their website saying these changes aren’t going to take place, COGAT’s article praising UNRWA can still be found on its homepage.
According to intelligence sources, roughly 80% of materials being transferred into the Gaza strip have reached Hamas.
The fact that Hamas is in complete control of UNRWA’s workers union and that UNRWA controls the supply line coming into Gaza are undoubtedly linked. Yet in a conversation with an official from the civil administration,
my colleague was scolded for insinuating that UNRWA and Hamas are linked to that extent, despite COGAT acknowledging the fact that a senior Hamas leader – Suhail al-Hindi – is the Chairman of the Association of Palestinian Workers of UNRWA in Gaza. During that same conversation,my was also assured by COGAT that UNRWA would be changing their curriculum.
It would seem almost impossible that COGAT would be unaware of diversion of materials at such a scale to Hamas.
However, that would mean that they are complicit to the passing of said materials to a terror organization. Some former COGAT officials have even attempted to exploit the situation by selling cement to the Gaza strip.
Meanwhile, COGAT has prevailed upon the US and Canada to continue aid to UNRWA as a matter of business as usual.
And COGAT shows parades its business assistance to the Gaza regime – now in a in a suspended state of war with Israel – as if this a formula for some kind of “economic peace”, instead of what it really is – aid to an enemy during a time of war.
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