Israel - A Rant

[polymerpunkah]

 

CBC reporting that Canada will resume it's funding of UNRWA.

 

The federal government is resuming funding to UNRWA, the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, CBC News has learned.

In addition to going ahead with a scheduled payment in April of $25 million, Canada's international development minister also intends to announce new funding, according to a senior government official.

The Canadian government announced a pause on funding in January after Israel alleged that 12 employees of UNRWA were involved in some capacity in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the affiliated group Islamic Jihad.

 

 

FWIW, Canada has given $25 million per year to UNRWA, and gave an additional 20 million in December.

 

(By way of comparison, China gives 2 million, as does Russia. They talk a good game, but that's about it.)

 

I doubt the US will follow suit, but perhaps Germany and the EU will. Hopefully so.

[TheHowieLama]

The US stopped all funding to the UNRWA in 2018 under Trump and didn't contribute again until 2021 when Biden re-started the program. The same time period that a couple Euro countries also halted funding.

 

The current situ has the balance of 2024 funds frozen until the current investigation has concluded. 

You can make your own opinions on the validity of that investigation. The UN is incredibly invested to insure that is transparent.

Here are the contributors for the most recent accounting year - 2022:

 

 

US support for UNRWA reached $422 million in 2023 alone. 

 

Some insight into the current admins stance:

 

U.S. officials secretly encouraged Turkey to increase its donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) shortly after Washington suspended its own funding to the organization amid Israeli allegations that a dozen of UNRWA’s 13,000 Gaza-based employees participated in the October 7 attacks, according to Middle East Eye.

The news reveals a large gap between the Biden administration’s public and private messaging on UNRWA, which Israel has long accused of ties to Hamas. The White House joined Israel’s public crusade against the group, leading several other Western countries to cut off their own funding.

The revelation suggests that U.S. officials are more circumspect about UNRWA’s alleged complicity in October 7 than previously known. U.S. intelligence agencies reportedly consider accusations against the 12 employees “plausible” but this assessment is “low confidence.”

 

 

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

This should help to draw a line under the ludicrous accusations regarding cuddly toy octopi. 
 

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/mar/06/tory-peer-jacqueline-foster-pays-damages-university-challenge

[Jurgen Knows]

So the US suspended its own funding to UNRWA but went ahead (behind Israel’s back?) and encouraged Turkey to increase its donations to the same UNRWA!

 

How cute!

 

That relationship is getting toxic dude!

[TheHowieLama]

What is very clear is that the Palestinians desperately need money now and any efforts to do so would be encouraged.

Unfortunately going forward, the UNRWA will imo never be funded to near the levels it has been. That will be due to a good number of historically major donors bringing their donation levels down for a number of reasons combined with the inability or unwillingness of lesser donors to increase to anywhere near those levels.

 

Whether that is cute or not would be a different discussion.

[skend04]

Still a head scratcher as to how the British Imperialists thought it was a good idea to promise the same land to the Arabs and then to Zionist Jews. It's like chaos was the ultimate, perhaps unintended, goal of the British Empire.

[Jurgen Knows]

Another Jewish hero. Respect.

 

 

[Jurgen Knows]

18 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

What is very clear is that the Palestinians desperately need money now and any efforts to do so would be encouraged.

Unfortunately going forward, the UNRWA will imo never be funded to near the levels it has been. That will be due to a good number of historically major donors bringing their donation levels down for a number of reasons combined with the inability or unwillingness of lesser donors to increase to anywhere near those levels.

 

Whether that is cute or not would be a different discussion.

You know very well that my use of the word “cute” was not in reference to anything you wrote in that post.

You just pretend you don’t know. As usual.

[Anubis]

 

Turns out that sometimes a blue octopus is just a blue octopus.

[Jurgen Knows]

 

 

[Jurgen Knows]

It’s pathetic how they lose their temper when they realize their morality masks have fallen off.

 

 

[Gnasher]

Falls Rd. Belfast.

 

 

 

 

 

[Gnasher]

Perfectly rational observation by pro Israeli commentator. 

 

[Bjornebye]

56 minutes ago, Gnasher said:

Perfectly rational observation by pro Israeli commentator. 

 

 

And that’s Capricorn is it? 

[Jurgen Knows]

Amer Zahr has a Christian father and a Muslim mother.

 

 

[Jairzinho]

In David Collier's defence, he is mentally ill.

[TheHowieLama]

On 04/03/2024 at 08:13, TheHowieLama said:

The question remains - is that performative on their part? Or tactical?

Qatar and Egypt have been bringing proposals to Hamas political and military leaders. The United States has tried to draft broad proposals to restart the talks after they hit various roadblocks following an initial seven-day pause in November during which Hamas released about 100 hostages, mainly civilians.

People familiar with the negotiations believe Hamas has issued new demands for a variety of reasons.

 

 

On Feb. 28, Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas political leader based in Qatar, called publicly for a march during Ramadan in Jerusalem at the Al Aqsa Mosque, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. Some officials believe Hamas’s military wing wants those protests to turn violent. Hamas may want to avoid a cease-fire deal for fear of being accused of breaking it if the protests become violent.

Hamas, according to people briefed on the talks, believes an action at the mosque will show its strength despite the months long Israeli military campaign in Gaza and could increase pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to end the fighting.

But Hamas may have made new demands during the negotiations for another reason.

Last Thursday, Israeli forces opened fire in Gaza while a crowd had gathered near a long convoy of aid trucks. The chaotic scene led to more than 100 deaths.

 

U.S. officials harshly criticized Israel’s handling of the convoy and its failure to provide security for desperate Palestinian people.

Some officials briefed on the talks say Hamas leaders may believe the deaths around the humanitarian convoy have strengthened their position in the negotiations and weakened Israel’s international standing.

[Bjornebye]

18 minutes ago, Jairzinho said:

In David Collier's defence, he is mentally ill.

Yep. And a racist grifter. 

[TheHowieLama]

Israel's government has advanced plans for more than 3,400 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

About 70% of the homes will be built in Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, with the rest in nearby Kedar and Efrat, south of Bethlehem.

A minister has said the construction is a response to a deadly Palestinian attack near Maale Adumim two weeks ago.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the plans, which are reportedly the first to be approved since June.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed disappointment with the decision the following day and surprised many observers by declaring that the US viewed settlements as illegal - reverting to a position that had been overturned by former President Donald Trump's administration in 2019.

"It's been longstanding US policy under Republican and Democratic administrations alike that new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace," he told reporters in Argentina.

"They're also inconsistent with international law. Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgement, this only weakens - it doesn't strengthen - Israel's security."

[Gnasher]

Love u Britain.

 

 

Israel has dropped leaflets over Gaza. The message wishes ths residents a happy Ramadan and to feed the needy. 

 

 

 

 

[Jurgen Knows]

Naughty Palestinians. Always putting obstacles in Bibi’s way to prevent him from winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

[Bjornebye]

21 minutes ago, Jurgen Knows said:

Naughty Palestinians. Always putting obstacles in Bibi’s way to prevent him from winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

He’s guaranteed the Nobel Kids in Pieces Prize 

[Gnasher]

Essential eight minutes this. No need to wonder why journalists are either murdered or not allowed entry into Gaza. 

 

Proud to be a part of a nation that's stood steadfastly behind the good guys. 

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

Proud to be a part of a nation that's stood steadfastly behind the good guys. 

 

Not sure if linking an Abulhawa video with this above is intended irony or plain ignorance.

[Bjornebye]

49 minutes ago, Gnasher said:

Essential eight minutes this. No need to wonder why journalists are either murdered or not allowed entry into Gaza. 

 

Proud to be a part of a nation that's stood steadfastly behind the good guys. 

 

 

I assume you mean innocent Palestinians and not Hamas when you say good guys