January 15, 2009
UN School hit by Israelis has a history of hiring terrorists
The journalist Joel Mowbray continues to do yeoman’s work in on covering and reporting on news that often escape the “attention” of , let’s say, the New York Times.
Yesterday on Fox News he covered “the rest of the story” about the UN-run school in Gaza where civilians died after Israeli forces returned fire from Hamas terrorists operating in the area around the school. The UN denied that terrorists were operating from the school or from the area around it-a report contradicted by Palestinians themselves, according to this AP report
UN front-running for terrorists is a given; but in this case, the UN-funded and run school may well-have been an employment agency and nursery for terrorists:
The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past, has no system in place to keep members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad off its payroll, and provides textbooks to children that contain hate speech and other incendiary information.
The United Nations Relief and Works Administration has been criticized by various members of Congress over the years for its nonchalant, if not cozy, relations with terrorists and their fellow-travelers. America provides much of the funding for UNWRA. Yet the UN agency does not screen its employees for ties to Palestinian terror groups—and seems to take pride in refusing to do so.
In 2004, former UNRWA Commissioner-General Peter Hansen told the Canadian Broadcasting Company, "I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime." He added, "We do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another."
UNWRA is an employment agency for Hamas terrorists:
There have been several high-profile examples of terrorists being employed by UNRWA. Former top Islamic Jihad rocket maker Awad Al-Qiq, who was killed in an Israeli air strike last May, was the headmaster and science instructor at an UNRWA school in Rafah, Gaza. Said Siyam, Hamas' interior minister and head of the Executive Force, was a teacher for over two decades in UNRWA schools.
UNWRA also is a nursery for terrorists; UNWRA schools have become outlets for propaganda targeting children for “brainwashing”-indoctrinating them with hate towards Israeli and glorifying violence and martyrdom:
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say they are also concerned that terrorist propaganda is being taught in UNRWA schools. A notebook captured by Israeli officials at the UNRWA school in the Kalandia refugee camp several years ago glorified homicide bombers and other terrorists. Called "The Star Team," it profiled so-called "martyrs," Palestinians who had died either in homicide bombings or during armed struggle with Israel. On the book's back cover was printed the UNRWA emblem, as well as a photo of a masked gunman taking aim while on one knee.
There is evidence that students educated in UNRWA schools are much more likely to become homicide bombers, said Jonathan Halevi, a former Israeli Defense Forces intelligence officer who specializes in Palestinian terrorist organizations.
The UNWRA”s response to these charges?
A UNRWA spokesman strongly disputed any connection between the agency's schools and a greater likelihood of terrorist activity later in life. As proof, he pointed to UNRWA's "special efforts in our schools to teach tolerance, human rights and peaceful conflict resolution."
UNRWA sent an eight-page brochure to FOXNews.com that speaks about the group's tolerance, human rights and peaceful conflict resolution curriculum. But it makes no mention of tolerance toward Jews or Christians or of peaceful coexistence with Israel. Rather, it is geared toward student interaction, the rights students should expect in society, and learning to express emotions through acting, painting, and storytelling.
This is merely the latest example of NWRA enabling of terrorism.
UNWRA has a long history of working with terrorists http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/mediaobjectivity/UNRWAs_Hamas_Employees.asp :
в—Џ May 2004: Armed Palestinians are filmed (at left) using UNRWA ambulances to transport terrorists and, possibly, remains of fallen Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
в—Џ Sept. 2003: After the Israeli military court convicts three UNRWA employees for terrorist activities (such as throwing firebombs at a public bus), Israel detains at least 16 other UNRWA staff members for various security-related matters.
в—Џ Dec. 2002: A Shin Bet report indicates that numerous UNRWA facilities in the West Bank and Gaza had been used by Palestinian terrorists as meeting grounds and for weapons storage.
в—Џ Sept. 2002: Nahd Attala, a senior official of UNRWA in Gaza, reveals that in June-July 2002, he used his UNRWA car for the transportation of armed members of Fatah who were on their way to carry out a missile attack against Jewish settlements. In addition, Nahd admits he used an UNRWA car to transport a 12 kg explosive charge for his brother-in-law, a Fatah member.
в—Џ August 2002: Nidal Nazzal, a Hamas member and ambulance driver employed by UNRWA, confesses to transporting weapons and explosives in an UNRWA ambulance, and that he had taken advantage of the freedom of movement he enjoyed to transmit messages among Hamas members in various Palestinian towns.
в—Џ February 2002: Alaa Muhammad Ali Hassan, a Tanzim member, confesses during interrogation that he had carried out a sniper shooting from the school run by UNRWA in the al-Ayn refugee camp near Nablus. He also told his interrogators that bombs intended for terrorist attacks were being manufactured inside the UNRWA school's facilities.
Also see this brief report on UNWRA’s work for terrorist:
Since America provides much of the funding for UNWRA isn’t it time that American money not be used to support terrorism? Barack Obama says he wants to strengthen and work towards reform at the United Nations. Starting at UNWRA (the only UN refugee agency operating to benefit only one group of people-Palestinians who fled from Israel in 1948 and all their descendants, a unique definition of refugee) would be a good place to start.