SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Attorney General Sean D. Reyes joined a letter to U.S. Congressional leaders urging the federal government to stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
In the aftermath of the horrific October 7th terrorist attack in Israel, the world learned that over a dozen UNRWA employees may have participated in those atrocities against the Jewish people. President Joe Biden reversed the previous administration’s decision to withhold American taxpayer funding from UNRWA, despite signs that employees may have sympathies or ties to terror groups. When the role of these UNRWA employees in the October 7th attack came to light, President Biden declared that all “prospective funding” for this agency would be suspended. However, current funding remains in place, leading to this letter from the States.
As the attorneys general write, “Part of the problem is UNRWA insists on willful blindness – the United Nations does not recognize Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or Hezbollah as terrorist groups. UNRWA considers being a member of Hamas to be a political affiliation. Perhaps that is because recent reporting contends that 10% of UNRWA staff have ties to Islamist militant groups. Facilitating, promoting, assisting, and committing the heinous acts the world has witnessed on October 7 and its aftermath are not political statements; they are crimes. UNRWA and its affiliated 501© (3) organization UNRWA USA, should know that fundraising efforts in our States will be scrutinized to ensure full compliance with State and federal material-support statutes.”
Joining Utah, Iowa, and South Carolina were the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
