{"id":2239748,"date":"2024-05-08T03:40:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-08T07:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nearly-half-of-us-states-demand-un-aid-agency-be-completely-defunded-over-ties-to-hamas\/"},"modified":"2024-05-08T03:43:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T07:43:51","slug":"nearly-half-of-us-states-demand-un-aid-agency-be-completely-defunded-over-ties-to-hamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nearly-half-of-us-states-demand-un-aid-agency-be-completely-defunded-over-ties-to-hamas\/","title":{"rendered":"Almost half of US states push for complete defunding of UN aid agency due to Hamas connections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnearly-half-of-us-states-demand-un-aid-agency-be-completely-defunded-over-ties-to-hamas%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2239748&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Over 20 \u200cstates are pressuring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-trump-religious-groups-begin-turning-up-heat-on-gop-to-take-action-on-marjorie-taylor-greene\/\" title=\"Pro-Trump, Religious Groups Begin Turning Up Heat On GOP To Take Action On Marjorie Taylor Greene\">congressional leaders<\/a> to defund the United Nations aid \u200cagency, UNRWA, due to its\u2063 ties with Hamas and \u2063the surge in anti-Semitism on US college campuses. This action follows the\u200d suspension of funding by the\u2064 US and a recent ban\u2062 until 2025, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wow-pa-election-observer-drops-bombshell-says-special-agents-from-ags-office-showed-up-at-her-door-to-question-her-after-she-testified-video\/\" title=\"WOW! PA Election Observer Drops BOMBSHELL - Says Special Agents from AG's Office Showed Up at Her Door to Question Her After She Testified (VIDEO)\">attorneys general<\/a> advocating for permanent \u2062defunding. The push comes amid escalating pro-Palestinian protests\u2062 at various \u2063universities.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Over 20 states are demanding <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>congressional<\/a> leaders defund a <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/united-nations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>United Nations<\/a> aid agency over its ties to <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hamas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Hamas<\/a> and rising <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/antisemitism.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>antisemitism<\/a> on college campuses in the United States.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iowa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Iowa<\/a> Attorney General Brenna Bird and <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/south-carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>South Carolina<\/a> Attorney General Alan Wilson led 22 other states in a letter sent to House Speaker <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY), House Minority Leader <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hakeem-jeffries\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Hakeem Jeffries<\/a> (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Mitch McConnell<\/a> (R-KY) on Tuesday asking them to \u201cstop funding antisemitic education efforts\u201d from the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA.<\/p>\n<p>The agency has come under increased scrutiny for its connections to Hamas, Gaza\u2019s governing body, since the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel last year. In January, the news of UNRWA\u2019s connection to Hamas caused the U.S. and other countries to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2837927\/biden-administration-trump-era-funding-unrwa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>suspend funding<\/a> to the agency. Congress also recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/2931237\/funding-deal-biden-said-sign-immediately-includes-ban-unrwa-aid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"approved a ban on funding\">approved a ban on funding<\/a> from the U.S. to UNRWA until March 2025 in the fiscal 2024 appropriations package.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these actions, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-ags-suing-google-alleging-deceptive-practices-tracking-users-without-consent\/\" title=\"Bipartisan AGs Suing Google, Alleging \u2018Deceptive Practices,\u2019 Tracking Users Without Consent\">states\u2019 attorneys general<\/a> are asking for congressional leaders to do more in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests at institutions such as Columbia University, the University of California, Los Angeles, Northwestern University, George Washington University, and several others. House Republicans announced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/2985325\/house-invites-more-university-leaders-part-of-crackdown-antisemitism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>crackdown on antisemitism<\/a> last week that involves several committees holding hearings, calling university leaders to testify, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-group-demands-investigation-into-billionaires-us-political-spending\/\" title=\"Watchdog Group Demands Investigation Into Billionaire\u2019s US Political Spending\">demanding investigation<\/a> into immigration statues of protesters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile the United States suspended UNRWA\u2019s funding in January, it is time to make that permanent \u2014 unless UNRWA engages in serious and clear reform,\u201d the attorneys general wrote. \u201cA recent UN-ordered investigation found that the situation is as bad as the States had predicted. That investigation found that UNRWA textbooks included antisemitic content and that UNRWA staff were violating the UN principle of neutrality with their social media posts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe would never tolerate American tax dollars being used to teach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jewish-democrats-criticize-conservatives-and-progressives-for-reckless-antisemitism-in-letter-to-biden\/\" title=\"Jewish Democrats Criticize Conservatives And Progressives For \u2018Reckless\u2019 Antisemitism In Letter To Biden\">antisemitic hate<\/a> here at home\u2014and we should hold foreign organizations we support to the same standard,\u201d the attorneys general continued. <\/p>\n<p>Attorneys general from Iowa, South Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming signed on to the letter.<\/p>\n<p>Bird said in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that this is an issue \u201cfor every state to care about\u201d and that she\u2019s received \u201cstrong support\u201d for the calls to defund UNRWA once people were told about the agency\u2019s terrorism ties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think a lot of people care about this issue with UNRWA,\u201d Bird said. \u201cNot everybody knows about that organization, so I think as soon as people were told the facts of what\u2019s happening with UNRWA, there was a lot of support from the other states.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>McConnell\u2019s office pointed the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>to previous comments that the longtime Kentucky senator made when news of UNRWA\u2019s Hamas ties broke in January.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I\u2019ve said before, there is no room for the tired cast of corruption and terrorism in the future of the Palestinian people,\u201d McConnell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.republicanleader.senate.gov\/newsroom\/remarks\/mcconnell-to-biden-exercise-american-strength-to-defend-us-personnel-interests-and-allies-in-middle-east\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a>. \u201cAs such, Senate Republicans will not accept any legislation that allows taxpayer dollars to fund UNRWA. And America\u2019s ally, Israel, deserves the time, space, and support it needs to remove Hamas from the equation \u2014 root, stem, and branch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bird said the goal is to see Congress \u201ccompletely stop funding UNRWA.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve helped terrorists, they\u2019ve fueled the antisemitic hate that\u2019s going on there. The schools that UNRWA sponsors are radicalized, and the kids are basically indoctrinated with antisemitism,\u201d Bird claimed.<\/p>\n<p>On the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Bird said she understands that people have First Amendment rights to protest, but in Iowa, it has \u201cnot gotten out of hand\u201d thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegazette.com\/state-government\/iowa-gov-reynolds-college-protesters-have-free-speech-rights-but-we-will-be-ready-if-protests-c\/#:~:text=Reynolds%20said%20Wednesday%20that%20protesters,George%20Floyd%20murder%20turned%20destructive.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>certain laws that were passed in 2020<\/a> in the wake of the George Floyd murder when demonstrations turned destructive.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that\u2019s a good example for the rest of the country to look at, as so many campuses are in turmoil, and so many Jewish students are afraid to go to class and afraid to be in school,\u201d Bird said. \u201cThat should never happen in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to UNWRA, Johnson, Jeffries, and Schumer for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 20 states urge Congress to cut funding to a UN aid agency citing Hamas links and increasing antisemitism on US college campuses. Iowa AG Brenna Bird and SC AG Alan Wilson, along with 22 states, sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate leaders<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2239749,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP23346802019523.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2239748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP23346802019523.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2239748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2239748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2239749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2239748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2239748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2239748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}