UNRWA continues to operate in a highly polarized environment where emotions frequently run high. We enforce neutrality within our organization, but we are not immune from the context. There have recently been allegations of inappropriate statements by UNRWA staff, notably on social media. Let me state here unambiguously that UNRWA condemns any form of anti-Semitism or racism and its position on this issue is a matter of public record. We take every allegation seriously and when credible investigate it and will continue to take disciplinary actions as required.
Notice how Krähenbühl changes the issue from UNRWA's stated position of "neutrality" into only condemning racism and antisemitism. And how he even "contextualizes" the hate by saying that "emotions run high." But he doesn't mention incitement to murder Israelis. Is that OK or not?
Moein Elmasry works for UNRWA in Rafah.
He posted this video encouraging Arab men and women to attack Israel.
And he also posted this video cartoon showing the murder of the Henkins.
(The second video is self-congratulatory about the morality of the terrorists for not murdering the Henkin children. In fact, there were four children in the backseat, and the prevailing theory is that the terrorists fled when one accidentally shot another one and they took him to the hospital.)
Are these videos a violation of "neutrality?"
But Krähenbühl himself violates his own mandate. Look how he describes the current wave of violence aimed at killing Jewish men, women and children, and Israel's response to defend them:
In the West Bank including East Jerusalem, the upsurge in violence and protests in recent weeks has had a direct impact on Palestinians, with some 71 fatalities and over 7,500 injuries reported in the first month of unrest that began on 1 October. During the same period, eight Israelis were killed and 126 injured. As the Deputy Secretary-General said at the Security Council's quarterly Middle East debate a few weeks ago in commenting on the reasons why the situation had deteriorated, the crisis would not have erupted if the Palestinian people, among others, had a perspective of hope towards a viable Palestinian state, an economy that provides jobs and opportunities, control over their legal and administrative processes and did not live under a stifling and humiliating occupation that has lasted almost half a century. UNRWA is shocked by the upsurge in violence that has affected Palestinian and Israeli civilians and the pattern of deadly force against Palestinians, the increase in the use of live ammunition in and around refugee camps, the expansion of settlements, the increase in settler violence towards Palestine refugees, and the displacement of refugees by demolitions and destruction of structures.Krähenbühl gives reasons to "understand" Arabs murdering random Jews, saying that it is because of "hopelessness," , but he provides no such understanding of Israel defending its citizens. He doesn't mention how many of the 71 Palestinians were killed while directly in the act of while attacking Jews. He says that violence has "affected Palestinian and Israeli civilians" but there is a "pattern of deadly force against Palestinians."
He is about as neutral as Hamas.
Beyond that, the claim that there would be no terror if the Palestinian Arabs had "hope" is ludicrous. Here is an article from August 15, 1938, one of dozens:
Was this, and the hundreds of other attacks against Jews before 1948, also from "hopelessness?"
No. It is pure Jew-hatred. And this antisemitism is not only from UNRWA teachers, but from UNRWA itself, as I have documented (sites that have been since removed.)
How can someone as clearly biased as Pierre Krähenbühl be trusted to be able to run an agency that is supposed to be politically neutral? By UNRWA's own standards, Krähenbühl is violating the neutrality rule.
Yet UNRWA claims to be able to self-regulate its employees.
It is a joke.
