President Biden is Defunding UNRWA in the Midst of a Genocide, Let Him and Congress Know This Cannot Stand

Only hours after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take “all measures within its power” to prevent acts that could amount to genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, including immediately halt attacks on Palestinians, halt incitement against Palestinians as a group and ensure entry of humanitarian aid, the White House announced that the United States was “pausing” funding for “The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East” (UNRWA). UNRWA is fundamentally the most important UN agency for providing aid and support for more than 5.7 million registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East—including the desperate 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza. Yet, President Biden chose to aid Israel further in its genocide and pause funding following baseless and unfounded accusations from Israel that an immeasurably small fraction of its staff, 12 people (0.0004% of its workforce), were somehow involved in the October 7 attacks. 

TAKE ACTION: DEMAND The United States RESTORE Funding to UNRWA 

The unquestioning acceptance of Israel’s accusations without demanding concrete evidence is unacceptable, and using those accusations to further reduce aid to millions of Palestinians in the middle of a genocide, aided and abetted by the Biden administration itself, is no less unconscionable. This is simply an excuse to further collectively punish Palestinians, and we cannot let this decision stand.

Call and Email your Members of Congress and President Biden using our action tool and urge your friends and family to do the same. Let them know we will not let out until they listen to us and restore funding to UNRWA.

Thank you for taking action for Palestine.