The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been ordered to vacate its Jerusalem offices within 30 days over violations of its lease.
In a letter to UNRWA, the Israel Lands Authority said the agency owed NIS 27.1 million ($7.3 million) for maintaining offices on Israeli state land without permission over the last seven years. The letter demanded that UNRWA “immediately stop any illegal use, destroy everything you have built in violation of the law, vacate the land of any people or items and return it to the [ILA] within 30 days from the date of this letter.”
“It’s not surprising that they are allowing themselves not to accept, not respect Israeli law here in Jerusalem,” Deputy Mayor Arieh King told TPS in February. “They’re building illegal buildings, they have petrol stations in places they’re not allowed to have, and it’s time that the Israeli government will allow us, the municipality of Jerusalem, to pass a law against UNRWA.”
We recall the many intensive years of David Bedein’s work to expose the UNRWA problem. His efforts, together with the domino effect of revelations on the truth about UNRWA are finally bringing about the “attention” they deserve.