Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven, along with several other senators, is calling for an immediate and permanent prohibition of U.S. aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). This comes in light of recent revelations that some UNRWA staff members were directly involved in an attack on Israel and that a portion of the organization's staff has ties to Islamic militant groups.

In a letter addressed to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the senators expressed their concerns about the nature of UNRWA's operations. They stated, "Let us be crystal clear: last week’s revelation that UNRWA staff members played a part in the October 7 attacks is not an example of a few bad apples acting out of turn... it is emblematic of an organization where no investigation or subsequent corrective measures will ever be enough to cure the rot that is so clearly endemic to its mission."

The senators also emphasized the need to redirect funds towards assisting Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists. They requested that any supplemental package include an immediate and permanent prohibition against U.S. contributions to UNRWA.

A total of 25 senators, including Senator Hoeven, have signed the letter urging for the cessation of U.S. aid to UNRWA. Among the signatories are Senators Bill Cassidy, Marco Rubio, and Susan Collins.

Senator Hoeven's efforts to stop U.S. aid to UNRWA go beyond this recent letter. He is also a cosponsor of the UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member James Risch. This legislation would require the U.S. to withhold contributions to UNRWA unless the Secretary of State can certify that no UNRWA employees or contractors engage in terrorist activities or have ties to terrorist organizations.

The call to halt U.S. aid to UNRWA reflects concerns about the organization's ability to effectively carry out its mission and the potential risks associated with supporting an entity that has individuals with ties to terrorist groups. Senator Hoeven and his colleagues are pushing for increased accountability and transparency in the allocation of U.S. funds to ensure that they are not inadvertently supporting activities detrimental to national security.