March 15, 2024
Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister
Hon. Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development
Re: Funding of UNRWA
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Ministers Joly and Hussen;
I am writing on behalf of the Canadian Antisemitism Education Foundation to express deep concern about your government’s decision to continue funding UNRWA. We note the inconsistent messages issued by the government and understand that funding has not been terminated, even temporarily, and we are gravely concerned and deeply disappointed with this decision.
It is, at the minimum, highly pre-mature to continue funding UNRWA. In February, Hon. Minister Hussen had stated in the House of Commons that any restoration of funding of UNRWA would only take place after the results of the UN investigation. This investigation is not yet complete. At the very least, we would expect the Government of Canada to await the final result of such investigation. However, it has been well documented for years that UNRWA uses textbooks, authorized by the Palestinian Authority, that demonize Jews, deny Israel’s existence and call for its total eradication. UNRWA texts and teachers’ manuals are readily available and show terrorists as heroes, show the map of Israel as a country called “Palestine,” and urge all students to yearn to kill Jews.
CAEF has sent multiple issues of End Jew Hatred Report to all MPPs in the government of Canada, as well as to all Senators and MPPs across Canada, with evidence of UNRWA’s continuous calls for violence against the Jewish people:
The End Jew Hatred Report Issue 1 - CANADA MUST STOP FUNDING TERRORISM; DEFUND UNRWA
The End Jew Hatred Report Issue 10 - CANADA FUNDS TERRORISM
The End Jew Hatred Report Issue 13 - HOW CANADA CAN LEAD THE PEACE PROCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR CONTINUE ENABLING THE CONFLICT: UNRWA
The End Jew Hatred Report Issue 15 - UNRWA’S ROLE IN ESCALATING TERROR ATTACKS IN ISRAEL
The End Jew Hatred Report Issue 19 - UNRWA AND THE UN: STOP THE MONEY
We have provided links to documentaries showing that UNRWA summer camps, operated by Hamas, teach children to kill. For example:
It is not only pre-mature, but very troubling that Canada would even consider ongoing funding to UNRWA which has been found by the UN, the Government of Israel, and others to have actively participated in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israeli civilians. This evidence has been presented to the UN of which Canada is a member and thus you cannot deny the existence of this information. Given this, we find the Government of
Canada’s decision to reverse its announced plan to cease funding UNRWA, to be deeply troubling and, frankly, unacceptable.
The United States as well as many European countries continue to withhold funding pending the completion of the UN investigation and so should Canada. It should be that all donor countries withhold funds from UNRWA which has not yet been held responsible for the significant participation of many of its employees in the October 7, 2023 massacre, and for the extensive network of tunnels under UNRWA facilities and use of its materials for support of terrorism. The Wall Street Journal has reported extensive involvement by UNRWA employees in the October attack and its ties to terror groups.
There are international humanitarian organizations, other than UNRWA that could easily supply aid to Gaza, should there be an ongoing need. It is also self-evident that Hamas leadership has absconded with multi-millions of dollars’ worth of aid, that Hamas terrorists steal the humanitarian aid that enters Gaza and have denied it to their citizens. If there is no independent monitoring then this is likely to continue.
We request the immediate confirmation of your government’s decision to permanently cease funding UNRWA, to demand full accountability for all aid provided until now and to seek an alternative, transparent, accountable, safe and non-partisan organization to provide any and all support to Gazans.
UNRWA is not essential. Teaching Arab children must meet the UN criterion of teaching for co-existence, and no entity that supports Palestinian Arab terrorism, under any umbrella organization, should be funded by Canadian taxpayers.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Charles Cooke, Director and Government Relations liaison for CAEF
Cc Anthony Housefather, MP
Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health
Pierre Poliviere, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Melissa Lantsman, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Marty Moranis, MP