Canada Reallocates UNRWA Funds, As Recommended by "The Israeli Initiative"

Dear readers,

We know we've been slacking in our blog posts lately, but now we're back with a bang! It looks like someone in Canada has been reading The Israeli Initiative's booklet on refugees, since the Canadian Treasure has pulled money out of UNRWA. Here's a release we sent out to the foreign press:

PRESS RELEASE: ISRAELI THINK TANK PRAISES CANADA'S WORK TOWARDS PEACE

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT REALLOCATES UNRWA FUNDS, AS RECOMMENDED BY "THE ISRAELI INITIATVE"

Recently, it was reported that Canada, which until now provided UNRWA (the agency dedicated to providing services to Palestinian refugees) with 11% of its budget, has reallocated some of its usual donation from UNRWA to the Palestinian Authority justice system.

Victor Toews, president of Canada's Treasury Board told the Jerusalem Post that this move will help "ensure accountability and foster democracy," as well as make sure that government funds will only go to "programs that are consistent with Canadian values."

The Israeli Initiative, a Jerusalem-based think tank, commends Canada's bravery in going against the UNRWA-supporting herd.

"Canada is setting an example for the nations of the world," said Lahav Harkov, spokesperson for The Israeli Initiative. "The Canadian Treasury Board is right in saying that UNRWA programs are inconsistent with its values; in fact, UNRWA is run in a way that contradicts many countries' values. For example, the agency UNRWA employs members of terrorist groups, as former Commissioner-General Peter Hansen has admitted. Despite this, many nations send millions of dollars each year to UNRWA."

"Many UNRWA camps are essentially run by Hamas, a terrorist group voted in by the refugees to manage URNWA activites," explained Yoav Sorek, manager of the Israeli Initiative. "Hamas inserts inflammatory material against the West and Israel into the curricula of UNRWA schools, and is even thought to have shot missiles from UNRWA schools in Gaza. It seems that Canada has finally taken a stand against this injustice "

While The Israeli Initiative does not agree with supporting the Palestinian Authority, it sees dismantling UNRWA as the first step towards a lasting, stable peace in the region. "UNRWA does not have a mandate to resettle refugees, which is the real way to solve any refugee problem," said Sorek. "Once a different, more effective agency takes care of the Palestinian refugees, it will be easier to work towards peace. Canada has done the morally correct thing in cutting its donations to UNRWA."

For more information: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147877187&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Netanyahu's "Optimism"

At a Likud party meeting two days ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau said he optimistic about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. One has to wonder: What does he mean by "optimistic?" Does this optimism mean that Netanyahu thinks there will be progress in the peace process, or does he think the opposite: that the process, which is useless to begin with, will fall apart soon.

This cynicism comes from a very problematic fact, that the PM has promoted a policy that he himself does not believe in. Rather than finding a true alternative to "two states for two nations," Netanyahu prefers a policy of minimizing damages by using the failed equation that has practically become Obama's slogan, while demanding preconditions that contradict the entire process.

Recognizing the State of Israel as a Jewish state, along with any recognition of the justness of Zionism, contradicts the logic behind a two-state solution. The Palestinian narrative, which sees the Arabs living in Israel as a separate nation, was created in the 1960s as a way to de-legitimize Zionism. If Zionism is not a crime, then the Palestinians are simply Arabs, some of whom left Israel when the state was formed in 1948. This is a simple humanitarian problem that could have been solved 50 years ago and can be solved now, especially when considering myriad Arab states in the world.

The creation of a Palestinian State is impossible. It has no geopolitical, military or economic logic behind it. It is a failed formula that the world has not let go because of Palestinian propaganda and the lack of an alternative solution. Rather than show optimism about a process that he doesn't believe in, Prime Minister Netanyahu would be better off if he thought outside of the box and adopted a new plan. This plan would offer peace in the simplest terms: prosperity, security and rights for all, without paying lip service to the Palestinian national narrative, whose contribution to recent history has only been frustration and bloodshed.