Senators Want UNRWA Investigated Over 'Troubling' Gaza Role

[Purveyor]

Source: Jerusalem Post

WASHINGTON — Members of the United States Senate are demanding an independent investigation into the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency during Israel's most recent war in Gaza with Hamas.

Accusing UNRWA of maintaining active and extensive ties with Hamas— and of supporting its activities throughout the month-long war— Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wrote a letter this week to US Secretary of State John Kerry accusing the UN agency of bias and characterizing its role in the conflict as "troubling."

UNRWA, an ostensibly neutral agency tasked with administering aid to Palestinian refugees throughout the region, adopted a political role in the heat of the conflict, during which at least four of its facilities were badly damaged and many of their inhabitants killed. During the deadliest days of the war, UNRWA officials went on record accusing the Israeli government of violating international humanitarian law.

UNRWA also publicly declared the discovery of three caches of rockets stored in Gaza schools during the July battle. The organization did not identify a responsible party for the crime, however, noting that the schools used as weapons depots were "mothballed" for the summer months.


Read more: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Senators-want-UNRWA-investigated-over-troubling-Gaza-role-370897

[billhicks76]

1. Cry Me A River

Playing the victim again.

[Scootaloo]

2. The US legislature is claiming someone is biased regarding israel?

What, what?

[Uncle Joe]

6. A major league case of self-projection if there ever was one. n/t

[SunSeeker]

3. I hear Darrell Issa needs something to do...

[KJG52]

4. Ben Cardin?

Ben Cardin is a disgrace to the Democratic Caucus of the US Senate, the blatant pandering of this letter and its other signatories demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that Cardin has no place in the Senate. Investigating UNRWA for bias against Israel is beyond ridiculous.

[elleng]

5. 'no place in the Senate?' 'disgrace to the Democratic Caucus?'

While I am dismayed by the position of him in this group, your statements appear extreme to me.

I will, however, inform Senator Cardin of my dismay.

[ReRe]

11. Cardin needs...

... easy cash for his war chest. When is he up for election again?

[riverwalker]

7. Bibi wants us to cover up his war crimes

this is part of it.

Netanyahu asks U.S. lawmakers to help fend off war crimes charges

Palestinians are planning to join the International Criminal Court and accuse Israel of crimes against humanity.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.609436

[former9thward]

14. The same Palestinians who fire rockets at civilians.

And send kids strapped with bombs into teenage pizza parlors in Israel. I think they need to accuse themselves. But we know that will never happen.

[Comrade Grumpy]

20. I don't think those 400 dead Palestinian kids were firing any rockets. n/t

[former9thward]

22. Tell that to Hamas who put them around the launchers.

Of course Hamas has had a long history of that. Especially when they strap bombs to their children and send them into Jerusalem teenage pizza parlors. Yep, they really love their kids.

[intaglio]

8. Love the JPs scare quotes round "mothballed"

and the weasel word "ostensibly".

Do you think they are implying that anyone not unconditionally supporting Israeli actions is automatically an enemy of Israel?

[kelliekat44]

9. I did not think our government could as represented by both Houses of Congress could go any lower.

I was wrong.

[freedom fighter jh]

10. Good.

Israel's justification for bombing UNRWA buildings was that those buildings stored weapons. Since so many people sought refuge at those places thinking they were safe, isn't there justification for an investigation of the claim that those places had to be bombed? An investigation of UNRWA "maintaining active and extensive ties with Hamas— and of supporting its activities throughout the month-long war" would have to look into the question of storing weapons.

If Israel is lying about weapons being stored an UNRWA buildings, a fair investigation will remove Israel's fig leaf of how they had to bomb the schools (which were being used as shelters) because weapons were stored there.

[azurnoir]

13. It was UNRWA itself that discovered and disclosed the weapons found in vacant schools not Israel

it was Israel however that used the discovery of weapons in vacant schools as a cover for bombarding schools being used as shelters

[former9thward]

15. And it was UNRWA who gave those rockets back to Hamas.

So they could be stored somewhere safer.

[atreides1]

17. Okay

What else were they suppose to do with them?

[former9thward]

18. Turn them over to the Israelis for destruction.

Would you rather have them shot at civilians?

[azurnoir]

19. Not according Chris Guiness

On Monday afternoon, Chris Gunness, the spokesman for U.N.R.W.A., denied that the rockets went back to Hamas.

UNRWA did not give the rockets to Hamas. The rockets were taken away by bomb disposal experts that were answerable to the newly formed government of national consensus, which Hamas has left."

http://www.thewire.com/global/2014/07/the-un-might-have-given-hamas-those-20-rockets-stashed-their-school/374793/

[former9thward]

21. LOL

I thought the latest meme was that Hamas was part of the government of national consensus and therefore Hamas should be given a pass on not recognizing Israel because the PA supposedly has. Now you are saying Hamas is not part of this government. Get your stories straight.

And what did these "bomb disposal experts" do with the rockets? I'm sure Chris Gunness followed them around like a little puppy.

[azurnoir]

23. that is not UNRWA's job nor was it UNRWA's job to wait around and present them to Israel

either

[yellowwoodII]

12. A Reminder

http://maplight.org/us-congress/interest/J5100/view/all

Senate
Mark Kirk $747,029
John McCain $575,187
Mitch McConnell $342,231
Robert Menéndez $341,170
Kirsten Gillibrand $301,637
Sherrod Brown $272,301
Bill Nelson $263,000
Harry Reid $261,708
Benjamin Cardin $249,543
Charles Schumer $248,149
Timothy Kaine $246,820
Barbara Boxer $245,179
Ron Wyden $233,031
Mary Landrieu $230,085
Claire McCaskill $212,671
Mark Udall $210,223
Cory Booker $184,569
Tammy Baldwin $179,980
Richard Durbin $178,800
Barbara Mikulski $169,250
Debbie Stabenow $167,852
Jeanne Shaheen $163,990
Martin Heinrich $162,923
Roger Wicker $158,861
Jeff Merkley $156,980
Mark Warner $150,351
Robert Casey $147,975
Dianne Feinstein $141,541
Jon Tester $133,971
Pat Roberts $125,625
Tom Udall $124,568
Lindsey Graham $121,265
Sheldon Whitehouse $121,150
Roy Blunt $120,500
Jeff Flake $119,350
Joe Manchin $117,110
John Thune $115,175
Kelly Ayotte $112,899
Michael Bennet $109,126
David Vitter $108,119
Mark Begich $107,293
Alan Franken $107,218
Bob Corker $102,950
Susan Collins $101,078
John Barrasso $98,050
Maria Cantwell $91,562
Orrin Hatch $91,500
Amy Klobuchar $89,047
Elizabeth Warren $87,838
Daniel Coats $86,233
Lisa Murkowski $83,400
Marco Rubio $82,200
Patty Murray $81,550
Richard Blumenthal $80,640
Joe Donnelly $79,662
Saxby Chambliss $77,550
Tim Scott $75,260
Patrick Leahy $74,062
Ted Cruz $73,004
Dean Heller $71,100
Richard Burr $70,850
Robert Portman $68,815
John Hoeven $67,535
Kay Hagan $64,133
Mike Johanns $63,635
Thomas Carper $62,700
Heidi Heitkamp $62,188
Charles Grassley $57,600
Chris Coons $53,774
Jerry Moran $53,400
James Risch $50,250
Christopher Murphy $49,050
John Cornyn $49,050
James Inhofe $47,850
Thomas Coburn $47,445
Thomas Harkin $46,980
Michael Enzi $46,600
Angus King $46,500
Michael Crapo $45,750
Mike Lee $45,030
Tim Johnson $44,415
Patrick Toomey $40,750
John Reed $40,350
Deb Fischer $39,900
Mazie Hirono $39,050
John Boozman $34,250
John Isakson $31,600
Brian Schatz $30,700
Richard Shelby $27,250
Mark Pryor $26,800
Carl Levin $23,400
Jefferson Sessions $10,700
Ron Johnson $10,400
Edward Markey $6,500
Rand Paul $5,500
Lamar Alexander $5,000
John Rockefeller $1,000

[Dustlawyer]

16. So we give Israel lots of money for support and then they use some of it to buy off our politicians.

No wonder the politicians jump every time Israel burps. Another shining example of why we need to fight for Publicly Funded Elections. Outlaw campaign contributions and we would see these Representatives actually represent us again. Looks like they represent Israel and whoever is the highest bidder on each and every issue! Wake up 'Merika!