3,000 UNRWA Staff Caught In Pro-Jihadist Telegram Group: Shocking Revelations By UN Watch

It gets more damning the more you learn about this scandal

In the Friday episode of "Strategic Wisdom with Andrew Jose," Daniel Smith, the Director of Advocacy for UN Watch, provided fascinating insights into the work and advocacy of his organization. UN Watch is a Geneva-based non-governmental organization accredited by the United Nations, with a mission to monitor the UN's adherence to its own charter.

Listen to the whole episode on your favorite podcast streaming platform.

Introduction to UN Watch

UN Watch was founded in 1993 by Morris Abram, a civil rights pioneer in the United States and a leader in the American Jewish community. Abram, who served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, witnessed firsthand the discrepancies in human rights enforcement at the UN. He observed that authoritarian regimes had usurped the human rights narrative, diverting attention from their own abuses and disproportionately targeting Israel.

“Our mission is to hold the UN to the standard of its charter,” explained Smith, highlighting the dual focus of UN Watch on combating dictatorial influence and addressing bias against Israel.

Key Issues with UNRWA

A significant portion of the discussion addressed UN Watch's criticisms of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). UN Watch has released numerous reports highlighting instances of support for terrorism and anti-Semitism among UNRWA staff.

“What we found has been consistently shocking," remarked Smith. "There is replete support for terrorism and antisemitism pretty much across the board.”

“For the last decade, UN Watch has been putting out reports on UNRWA.”

“We looked at the public social media profiles of individuals that identify as staff members of UNRWA, and what we found has been consistently shocking. We've put together a total of, I believe, 13 reports now. Every time we're a headache for UNRWA,” he said.

“Every time we release one of these reports, it causes a lot of backlash for [UNRWA] amongst donor states, and they try to tarnish us and our reputation.”

“[You'd] think [what] an organization that has any kind of oversight would be doing would be investigating and looking through their entire organization, and firing any individuals that support terrorism,” Smith continued. “Instead, at one point [UNRWA] issued a social media guideline —[a] training guide— to all of their teachers, which taught them how to make their profiles private.”

“Instead of actually taking care of the problem, removing terror supporters from their staff, they just teach them how to hide the evidence,” Smith said.

Smith further mentioned that a particularly alarming discovery was a public Telegram chat group comprising 3,000 UNRWA teachers in Gaza. On October 7th, the group was filled with support for the terror attacks on Israel, further exemplifying the troubling affiliations within the organization. “When we released this, it caused a major problem for UNRWA,” said Smith.

Smith elaborated that UNRWA's core issue lies in its mandate, which includes the controversial right of return for Palestinian refugees. He argued that this mandate perpetuates a cycle of violence and instability.

Smith elaborated that UNRWA's core issue lies in its mandate, which includes the controversial right of return for Palestinian refugees. He argued that this mandate perpetuates a cycle of violence and instability.

Calls for Reform

UN Watch believes that UNRWA should be replaced rather than reformed. Smith emphasized that local governments or other UN agencies, such as the World Food Program or UNICEF, could take over the essential services currently provided by UNRWA.

“We believe it’s not possible to reform UNRWA. UNRWA needs to be abolished and replaced,” stated Smith, underscoring the need for a more sustainable and acceptable solution for providing services to Palestinians.

The Human Rights Council

The discussion also touched on the bias within the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), particularly against Israel. Smith noted that the council has a separate agenda item solely focused on Israel, which is not the case for any other country.

Smith described the council as "not a council focused on human rights" but rather an entity that "shields human rights abuses and uses one country, Israel, as the scapegoat."

The Pillay Commission

Smith also shed light on the Pillay Commission, an ongoing, open-ended UN inquiry into Israel's human rights record. He criticized the commission's biased nature, noting that its members have openly expressed anti-Israel sentiments.

“The members of the commission are terribly, terribly biased against Israel,” Smith asserted, adding that the mandate appears designed to predetermine Israel’s guilt in various accusations.

Broader Issues and Hope for Reform

Despite these challenges, Smith remains hopeful about the potential for reform within the UN system. He called for the removal of the specific agenda item targeting Israel, the disbanding of the Pillay Commission, and the appointment of unbiased individuals in investigation mandates.

Smith concluded with a powerful message, urging countries upholding the right moral principles to become more vocal within the UN system. He cited an anecdote about the Lubavitcher Rebbe advising Benjamin Netanyahu to be a "candle of truth" at the UN, illustrating the importance of standing up for justice and moral values.

Listen to the whole episode on your favorite podcast streaming platform.