Attorney General Ashley Moody of Florida is calling on Congress to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) due to its ties with terrorism. This call comes in light of recent revelations about UNRWA employees involved in designated terrorist organizations and engaging in antisemitic activities.
In a statement, Attorney General Moody expressed concern over UNRWA's longstanding sympathy towards Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups, stating, "We know more than a dozen UNRWA employees took part in the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel. The United States has given more than $1 billion to UNRWA since the start of the Biden administration. That must stop NOW."
On January 26, UNRWA announced the termination of over a dozen employees who had participated in the Hamas terrorist massacre against Israel on October 7, 2023. However, this is not the first time UNRWA's ties to terrorism have come to light. One UNRWA school principal was found to have been involved in an Islamic Jihad bombing, while another was identified as a Hamas commandant. Additionally, a UNRWA school teacher is accused of detaining a hostage for nearly two months as part of a terror attack. Shockingly, every UNRWA school searched by the Israeli Defense Forces was found to contain hidden weapons.
In 2018, former President Trump recognized the alarming links between UNRWA and terrorism, leading to the suspension of all federal funding to the agency. Despite these concerns, President Biden reinstated funding for UNRWA on his first day in office.
A coalition of 26 states, including Florida, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming, has sent a letter to Congress urging the cessation of all funding to UNRWA. They argue that after the recent terror attacks, there is no justification for providing any financial support to the agency.
Attorney General Moody's plea aligns with the concerns raised by the coalition of states, emphasizing the need to cut off funding to UNRWA due to its association with terrorism. The full letter from the attorneys general can be accessed for further information.
This call to defund UNRWA highlights the growing concerns over the agency's ties to terrorism and raises important questions about the allocation of taxpayer money. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how Congress will respond to this urgent request to halt funding to an organization that has employed individuals with connections to designated terrorist groups.