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Resources updated Friday, May 17, 2019

May 17, 2019

Iranian writers, Reza Khandan, Baktash Abtin, and Keyvan Bajan (Social Media)

Three Prominent Writers In Iran Sentenced To 18 Years Document

An UNRWA building in Nablus (File photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

"Even as the winds of war seem to have temporarily subsided in Gaza, Israel's Foreign Ministry and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees continue to butt heads over the agency's conduct during the most recent round of violence between Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza.

Tensions began when UNRWA's Commissioner General Matthias Schmale on May 4, intimated on Twitter that Israeli airstrikes were hindering UNRWA sponsored events to 'celebrate children and their sports and fun activities.'

'Surrealistic #Gaza day: went to 2 marvelous @UNRWA events to celebrate children & their sports and fun activities & then to honor sanitation laborers followed by good working lunch with colleagues; in parallel sounds of bombs all day & we seem yet again close to war. Madness!' Schmale tweeted.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, angry at Schmale's one-sided depiction of events, responded to Schmale on Twitter: 'The terrorists shooting the rockets are all probably @UNRWA graduates. You must be really proud of them.'
...
Yinam Cohen, the director of the ministry's U.N. Political Affairs Department, told [UNRWA Director of Legal Affairs Rachel] Evers in a response letter that Schmale had disseminated lies on behalf of the Palestinians.

For example, Cohen wrote, Schmale has 'equated Israel to apartheid,' has implied 'the IDF purposefully targets children,' and 'even retweeted a message, which he later erased, insinuating that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians.'

Cohen continued: 'The issue in hand is Mr. Schmale's lack of neutrality. As a UNRWA official, publishing such statements publicly using social media, exposes him to much-warranted criticism and he must be held accountable for his public remarks.'..."

Israel Foreign Ministry against UNRWA: 'We'll keep telling the truth' Article