PLO Admits UNRWA Serves Political Goal of Preserving Palestinian Refugee Status
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
The PLO views UNRWA as a political tool to preserve the Palestinian "right of return" for millions of descendants, according to Palestinian Media Watch. PLO official Ahmed Abu Holi urged international financial and political commitments to maintain UNRWA's mandate. PMW argues this demonstrates UNRWA's role in perpetuating the refugee issue rather than providing humanitarian aid. Separately, a former UNRWA compound in Jerusalem will become an IDF museum and recruitment office.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- PLO official Ahmed Abu Holi called for financial and political commitments to preserve UNRWA's mandate.
- The PLO uses UNRWA to maintain the Palestinian "right of return" for millions of descendants, PMW reports.
- International support for UNRWA sends a political message against undermining the refugee issue, Abu Holi stated.
- PMW claims UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue rather than providing humanitarian aid.
- A former UNRWA compound in Jerusalem will be repurposed for an IDF museum and recruitment office.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) views the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as a political tool to maintain the Palestinian refugee issue on the international agenda, according to an analysis by the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW). The PLO's insistence on preserving UNRWA stems from its desire to safeguard the "right of return" for over five million descendants of Arabs who fled Israel in 1948. Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of its refugee department, called for international support to translate into financial and political commitments that will ensure UNRWA's mandate and continued operation. He emphasized that international stances supporting UNRWA send a clear political message against attempts to undermine its role and eliminate the Palestinian refugee issue. Abu Holi stated that UNRWA embodies international responsibility for Palestinian refugees and their rights, linking its continued mandate to the ongoing refugee issue until a just and comprehensive solution is achieved, in line with international resolutions like Resolution 194.
PMW argues that this stance reveals the non-humanitarian nature of UNRWA's image, as other UN bodies like UNHCR could provide humanitarian services. Instead, the Palestinian Authority and PLO seek to maintain an institution that perpetuates a growing refugee population and provides international backing for their claims against Israel. The PLO's objective is to prevent the replacement of UNRWA, which they fear would equate to replacing the refugee issue itself. The article also notes a separate development where a former UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, previously used for alleged incitement, will be repurposed for a new IDF museum and recruitment office, with Minister Katz stating it will house institutions strengthening the state.
PMW asserts that the PLO's objective is to preserve the refugee status, which is inherited by millions of descendants born and raised outside Israel. Fulfilling the "right of return" would mean flooding Israel with millions of Arabs, thereby ending its existence as the nation-state of the Jewish people. This is what the PLO is fighting to preserve, PMW concluded, highlighting that the PLO's statement exposes the fiction behind UNRWA's humanitarian image.