Israeli officials have not been able to implement a law intended to ban all activity of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) in east Jerusalem, which came into effect on January 31, the Jerusalem Post has learned.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a directive on Monday night to enforce a law banning UNRWA from east Jerusalem, after facing political pressure. The pressure came partially following a classified Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting on February 10, to track the law’s implementation. It also came after Yisrael Beytenu MK Yulia Malinovsky threatened to appeal to the High Court against the government if it did not implement the laws.
According to the law, UNRWA “will not operate any representative office, provide any service, or conduct any activity, directly or indirectly, in the sovereign territory of the state of Israel.”
Following the directive, Israeli officials visited a vocational center and three schools in east Jerusalem run by UNRWA on Tuesday. A Jerusalem Municipality official visited the vocational center and left soon after. According to the police, people in the vicinity threw rocks at officers stationed outside, who countered with riot dispersal methods.
At the same time on Tuesday, three Education Ministry officials visited three east-Jerusalem schools run by UNRWA, in Wadi Joz, Silwan, and Sur Baher. The education ministry said in response to a query that it “conducts oversight over educational institutions according to the law … the law determines that operating a non-official school requires receiving a permit, and the ministry is acting to implement the law’s directives in educational institutions in Israel.”
At the same time on Tuesday, three Education Ministry officials visited three east-Jerusalem schools run by UNRWA, in Wadi Joz, Silwan, and Sur Baher. The education ministry said in response to a query that it “conducts oversight over educational institutions according to the law … the law determines that operating a non-official school requires receiving a permit, and the ministry is acting to implement the law’s directives in educational institutions in Israel.”
The education ministry insisted that the visit on Tuesday did not have to do with the new law banning UNRWA coming into effect.
UNRWA schools not required to hold a permit?
An UNRWA official said that as a UN institution, UNRWA schools are not required to hold a permit, and never had to. The official said that the visit was an excuse to attempt to implement the prime minister’s directive.
Jerusalem Minister Meir Porush admitted in a meeting on Thursday of a Knesset Caucus for the Closure of UNRWA led by Likud MK Dan Illouz, that “the Knesset legislated laws, but they do not include a word on real enforcement.” According to a statement from the caucus meeting, Porush added that “without enforcement the laws are meaningless.”
Illouz and a number of other MKs passed the law after revelations that a number of UNRWA employees from Gaza had participated in the October 7 Hamas massacre, and that UNRWA facilities had been used in Gaza to hide arms and tunnel entrances. The law was published on October 30 and came into effect on January 31, alongside a second law to stop Israeli cooperation with UNRWA in all other regions, including Gaza and the West Bank.