MK Yulia Malinovsky Threatens Supreme Court Petition Over UNRWA Presence in West Bank

MK Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beiteinu has warned she will petition Israel's Supreme Court if the government does not fully enforce laws regulating the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Malinovsky claims that despite legislation passed by the Knesset, UNRWA continues to operate in the West Bank's Area C and in the village of Kfar Aqab. She initiated the relevant laws, with the first approved in October 2024, and notes that although a legal petition against these laws is ongoing, there is no injunction preventing their enforcement.

Malinovsky stated she has sent letters to the Defense Minister and the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman requesting action and site visits, but has received no response. She accuses the Defense Minister of failing to issue orders to remove UNRWA from these areas, a responsibility she says lies within his authority. Malinovsky emphasized that if the government does not comply with the laws in full, she will file a petition with the Supreme Court and publicly expose the government's inaction.

She criticized the government for not implementing Knesset laws and shifting responsibility onto the Supreme Court, asserting that proper enforcement would render the petition unnecessary. The dispute centers on UNRWA's continued presence in sensitive West Bank areas despite Israeli legislation aimed at restricting its operations there.