WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):
“It is well known that UNRWA has a history of employing people connected to terrorist movements like Hamas, promoting anti-Semitic material in its textbooks, and allowing Hamas to use its schools to store weapons. U.S. taxpayer dollars should never be used to help fund such a corrupt organization. The Biden Administration argued that resuming funding for UNRWA would force necessary reforms. However, almost two years later, progress on reforms has been woefully inadequate.
“For years, I have advocated for legislation to help reform UNRWA and address these chronic problems. I will continue to do everything I can to hold the administration accountable and prevent U.S. funds from supporting organizations like UNRWA, which promote anti-Semitism.”
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