Monday, November 15, 2004
Elder of ZiyonCCD Calls on Paul Martin to stop funding UNRWA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 November 2004, 09:30 AM EST, Toronto, ON –
The Canadian Coalition for Democracies today released a new report UNRWA: Links to terrorism (http://canadiancoalition.com/unrwa/UNRWA_TerrorReport.html). The report is written by Arlene Kushner of the Centre for Near East Policy Research (Natick MA and Jerusalem) and presents evidence linking UNRWA to Hamas terrorism against Israelis.
“The findings in this report are troubling,” said Alastair Gordon, Director of Communication, Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD). “It leaves little doubt that members of the terrorist group Hamas are working for UNRWA and using funds and materiel from foreign donors, including Canada, for terror against Israelis.”
The report notes that UNRWA’s camps were “riddled with small-arms factories, explosives laboratories, and suicide-bombing cells, as well as Kassam-2 rocket manufacturing plants.” It goes on to quote Alan Baker, Chief Counsel of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and new Israeli Ambassador to Canada saying “Bombing-making indoctrination, recruiting, and dispatching of suicide bombers are all centered in the camps.”
“Given the details of this report, and the fact that funding Hamas is a crime in Canada, CCD is calling on the government to deny all funding to UNRWA until we can guarantee that our tax dollars are not being used for incitement and terror against Israelis. Canada should take the lead among donor nations to demand accountability from UNRWA, and to assure that 100% of funding is used for humanitarian purposes,” said Gordon.
“Should the government accept the findings of this report and the evidence linking UNRWA to Hamas terrorism, it will be incumbent upon them to immediately cease funding UNRWA. Canada must send a strong message to the UN stating its displeasure with the abuse of Canadian tax dollars, and apologize to the people of Israel who have suffered as a result of funding Hamas terror.”
