Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is calling on congressional appropriators to cut off all future funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) ahead of a federal spending deadline next month, according to a letter exclusively obtained by The Post.
“In light of UNRWA’s record of troublesome allegations and disturbing revelations since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, we believe that going forward no further US taxpayer funds can be given to the agency,” Issa wrote in a Wednesday letter to Senate and House appropriators working on spending bills that include foreign aid.
“The totality of evidence regarding UNRWA’s conduct demonstrates its systemic and incurable ties to terror,” he added in the letter, which was co-signed by 27 House Republican lawmakers.
The House and Senate will have to pass either continuing resolutions or separate spending bills to fund the federal government before March 1 or March 8, depending on the agency in question.
Funds for the State Department expire on the latter of the two dates.
Last week, UNRWA faced allegations that 12 of its employees participated in the Oct. 7 terror attack — with some kidnapping and killing Israelis — prompting an internal UN investigation and donor countries including the US to temporarily pause funding.
Seven of those 12 staff members held education jobs at the Palestinian refugee aid agency — and roughly 1,200 of its employees were identified as having ties to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli intelligence dossier first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“Other concerns abound,” Issa elaborated, citing reports. “Weapons have been found in UNRWA schools. Hamas tunnels have been found adjacent to UNRWA facilities. Hamas has stolen $1 million in UNRWA supplies since October 7, while UNRWA facilities may have been used to hold hostages.”
“UNRWA has also faced longstanding criticism over its educational programing which indoctrinates Palestinian youth in antisemitism and terror,” he added.
The Biden administration has contributed $1 billion to UNRWA and was its top international donor before pausing funds on Jan. 26. Germany, the second-biggest funder, also pulled its donations following the shocking reports.
The State Department revealed to The Post last week that $122 million has gone out the door since October to the refugee agency, which helps assist Palestinians with food, water, shelter and other necessities in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) previously told The Post the administration was “on track” to shell out $371 million total in fiscal year 2024 and has given “no clarity about how much of this funding will be affected by its temporary ‘pause.’”
Smith and Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) have since introduced legislation in the House to permanently eliminate UNRWA’s funding, while the Senate’s now-doomed $118 billion national security supplemental package included a line item to the same effect.
But Issa stressed to The Post that introducing the proposal as part of an upcoming government funding bill would signal its importance.
“We need to support our appropriators as they negotiate the next spending agreement — and this will make clear that defunding UNRWA is a Republican priority,” he said.
The letter’s Republican co-signatories included New Jersey Reps. Smith and Thomas Kean, Aaron Bean (Fla.), Scott DesJarlais (Tenn.), Mary Miller (Ill.), Jeff Duncan (SC), Mike Flood (Neb.), Barry Loudermilk (Ga.), Alex Mooney (W.Va.), Barry Moore (Ala.), Ralph Norman (SC), Andy Ogles (Tenn.), Cliff Bentz (Ore.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Burgess Owens (Utah), Pete Stauber (Minn.), Doug LaMalfa (Calif.), Doug Lamborn (Colo.), Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany (Wis.), Claudia Tenney and Anthony D’Esposito (NY), and Randy Weber, Ronny Jackson, August Pfluger, Lance Gooden and Keith Self (Texas).