Rightwing activists demonstrate outside Unrwa office for third week over claims of links between staff members and Hamas

Dozens of Israeli settlers and rightwing activists have protested by again blocking the entrances of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) office in Jerusalem and calling for the body’s closure.

Last week, Israel announced it would no longer approve Unrwa food convoys to the north of Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest. The decision came after the agency was accused by the government of collaborating with Hamas in Gaza, with its staff facing a systematic campaign of obstruction and harassment by the Israeli military and authorities, as revealed in internal UN documents seen by the Guardian.

On Wednesday, a group of settlers, activists, and members of the rightwing extra-parliamentary political group Im Tirtzu staged a protest for the third week in a row, fixing posters to the building and demanding that the agency be abolished.

“Unrwa needs to be disbanded,” said Aynat Libman, a 52-year-old Israeli settler from Efrat. “Israel doesn’t need to provide space to Unrwa in our capital. They support terror, teach children from a very young age to be terrorists, provide support to Hamas, and supply Hamas. They are terrorists.”

  • GrymEdm@lemmy.worldEnglish
    56·
    8 months ago

    Even other Israelis hate settlers. If you want to read first-hand accounts about settler violence the amazing Jewish organization Breaking The Silence, dedicated to exposing the truth of Israeli behavior via verified veteran testimony, has many of them here. The settlers in Occupied Palestinian Territory are truly among the worst people of our time. If Israeli settlers approve of you it’s probably time to reconsider the kind of person you are.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
      14·
      8 months ago

      I’ll just say: Progressive Israelis hate settlers. The majority (as a rule everyone who voted for Netanyahu’s coalition) has no issue with them or outright supports them.

      • Billy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        8 months ago

        the current coalition got 49.5% of the votes.
        the coalition is also made up of non-zionist ultra-orthodox.

          • Billy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
            2·
            8 months ago

            not necessarily.
            there are quite a bit of druze who vote likud, and a surprising amount of muslim israeli arabs and bedouins who vote for shas.
            i haven’t seen an article that mentions how much of a percentage they are out of all likud or shas voters though. but in some towns and villages they are as much as 30%+

            • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
              3·
              8 months ago

              and a surprising amount of muslim israeli arabs and bedouins who vote for shas.

              Okay what? Why? Also I don’t know Shas but I’m assuming it’s in Netanyahu’s coalition?

              • Billy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
                1·
                8 months ago

                from what i understood, the laws they pass to help their voters tend to also resonate with muslim arabs and bedouins.

                and yes. it’s one of the ultra-orthodox parties in the coalition. just that this one is zionist and aims to mainly represent sephardic/mizrahi jews.

    • ALQ@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      8 months ago

      But, but, but I’m supposed to live here! My ancestors lived here millennia ago! What does it matter if they live there now?! Them not wanting to be forcibly displaced, starved, beaten is just them being terrorists! *stomps foot*

      I hope they choke on their bile because they sure are filled with it.

      • nublugEnglish
        7·
        8 months ago

        what? no, dude. pots and kettles both being black is exactly the point. it’s a saying about hypocrisy. what in the world did you even think the saying meant if you didn’t understand it that way?

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    16·
    8 months ago

    Dozens of Israeli settlers and rightwing activists have protested by again blocking the entrances of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) office in Jerusalem and calling for the body’s closure.

    The same agency Biden banned aid to via executive order until it could be included in the budget…

    If Dems somehow win the House, AIPAC’s largest recipient of donations will be House majority leader too.

    Whether republicans or democrats win in the next election, it’s impossible for Israel to lose. They buy off the only two options in our political system

    “Blue no matter who” is not a viable long term strategy, because a D next to someone’s name doesn’t make them magically perfect we need standards