Attorney General Liz Murrill has joined a coalition of 24 states in urging Congress to cease funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The coalition sent a letter to Congressional leaders advocating for the permanent defunding of UNRWA, citing alleged ties to terrorism.
The letter references an incident on October 7, 2023, where several UNRWA staff members were reportedly involved in an attack against the Jewish community. The coalition claims that up to 10% of UNRWA's staff are linked to Hamas and accuses the agency of concealing a Hamas command center at its headquarters and storing weapons in its schools.
The coalition also argues that UNRWA contributes to antisemitism by indoctrinating nearly 300,000 Palestinian children in Gaza with educational materials promoting violence. These concerns have been echoed by warnings from the European Parliament regarding such content.
"Tax dollars from the hard-working men and women of Louisiana should not be funding an organization tied to the terror organization Hamas. I join my fellow attorneys general in calling for the United States Congress to permanently ban American funding to the United Nation’s Relief and Works Agency," stated Attorney General Murrill.
The states involved in this initiative include Iowa and South Carolina, who co-led the effort alongside Louisiana. Other participating states are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.