Following a threat from Donald Trump, UN agency helping Palestinian refuges is denied US funding

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US ends funding to UN Palestinian refugee aid agency, following up on Trump threat

Updated earlier today at 6:57am

PHOTO: The UNRWA helps those who fled since the 1948 war that led to creation of the state of Israel. (Reuters: Mohammed Salem)

RELATED STORY: US withholds $82 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat

RELATED STORY: Australia ends direct aid to Palestinian Authority

RELATED STORY: Israel passes controversial 'Jewish nation-state law'

The United States has halted all funding to a UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees, in a move likely to further heighten tensions between the Palestinians and the Trump administration.

Key points:

• UNRWA says it helps around 5 million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East
• The US had withheld $82m of funding in January, pending a review
• The UN has called for other countries to fill funding gap, with Germany already offering to help

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the business model and fiscal practices of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were an "irredeemably flawed operation."

"The administration has carefully reviewed the issue and determined that the United States will not make additional contributions to UNRWA," she said in a statement.

Ms Nauert said the agency's, "endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries is simply unsustainable and has been in crisis mode for many years."

UNRWA rejected the criticisms, with spokesman Chris Gunness describing it as "a force for regional stability".

Speaking in Jordan, where more than 2 million registered Palestinian refugees live, including 370,000 in 10 refugee camps, Mr Gunness said: "It is a deeply regrettable decision … some of the most disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable people on this planet are likely to suffer."

PHOTO: The UNRWA supports thousands of Palestinian refugees including those who have fled to war torn Syria. (AP: UNRWA)

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Ireland and the Palestinians

Israelis come down hard on Palestinians in East Jerusalem

The Knesset passed a law Wednesday allowing the interior minister to revoke the permanent residency status of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem who engage in terror or other anti-Israel activities and any permanent residents involved in such acts. Under the law, the state can deport anyone whose residency status is withdrawn.

The government-sponsored law specifies three situations in which the interior minister can revoke permanent residency: If the status was granted under false pretences, if the resident endangered public safety or security, or if he betrays the State of Israel.

The law applies to all permanent residents, whether they are recent immigrants or long-time residents of East Jerusalem. Under the law, the interior minister must grant an alternative status to a person whose residency was revoked if the individual cannot be permanently resettled in another country.

The law was drawn up after the High Court of Justice last year overturned the revocation, more than a decade ago, of the permanent residency status of four East Jerusalem men.

In January 2006, Mohammed Abu Tier, Ahmad Attoun and Muhammad Totah were elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council as representatives of the Hamas party. The fourth man, Khaled Abu Arafeh, was the minister for Jerusalem affairs in the short-lived government of Ismail Haniyeh. Then-Interior Minister Roni Bar-On rescinded their residency on grounds of disloyalty to Israel.

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...the son of the refugee will be a refugee too...

From Walid Mahmoud's Facebook post:

Before 70 years from now, the Zionist gangs occupied the state of #Palestine. It killed and injured thousands as well as migrated millions of innocent civilians from their native land to the neighboring countries.

In each single year, the Palestinians celebrate this sad anniversary with hope to go back to their land. We all know that the son of the refugee will be a refugee too since he is not going back to his original land he was expelled to leave.

So far, my grandfather is 80 and still tells about his immigration from Jaffa to Gaza in 1948. People migrated at that time to live in tents when #UNRWA undertook the responsibility to help and provide the required service for them till the crisis ends. " the Palestinian refugee crisis". Thus, there is no doubt that the mission of UNRWA ends only when the crisis of the Palestinian refugees comes to the end. All the international laws and organizations have undertaken the right of the return for the Palestinians.

Yesterday, one of the grandsons of the refugees set a tent, the same as it was used at that time, on the borders which separate between Gaza and the occupied Palestine. The grandson says that this tent is to make the world about the misery and pain that we are still living as refugees in Gaza strip.
What-so-called Trump, with his recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, is trying to ignore this crisis.

How come for those who do not know the cause of the Syrian refugees talk about the Palestinian ones?
Muthana Al Najjar مثنى النجار , who set this tent, says this tent is peaceful and carries the stories of millions of the Palestinian refugees, who still believe in their right of return to the occupied.
This world has to know this very well.

I call for everyone who believes in humanity and peace to put the Palestinian cause is his/her priorities. This is my message to the whole world, the Arab and the west.

GAZA : Under siege from Israel --- but still working towards normalcy and improvement in life

We all think this is insane, it has to be stopped. The people are not anybody's card to use in political games.

The electricity in Gaza is everything in this situation. It's the air we breathe and the water we drink, and the beach we go to. No electricity means no air, no water, and no where to go when life turns an ugly face on you.

I promise myself every day that this will get better tomorrow. But it just keeps getting worse and worse with every day.

SALAM ALIKOM 

Empower Gazans Lives .

People in Gaza have been living under of unjust siege for more than ten years .

Electricity crisis is a major one in  Gaza Strip where power failure rate is up from 8 to 12 hours a day .

Allah has given us one of the brightest places in the world and I was always thinking why not taking an advantage of this brightness as an alternative energy. So I decided to start this Project as a solution of Electricity in Gaza .

Over the past years, I have succeeded in installing LED lights to hundreds of homes Here in Gaza. Through this first experiment in solar energy installation that I will Provide; The Solar panels, we will distribute the electricity lines so that we can alleviate the suffering of electricity which is OFF All the time. By such a project, the solar energy will be an alternative for good.

Walid Mahmoud is a Palestinian and humanitarian activist who is working in the humanitarian and relief field to help the Palestinian community. He has a lot of development and relief projects to empower Gazan people. One of these Small Projects is  "alternative energy" to help People overcome the electricity crisis. The LED projects are good examples for such a charity.

Electricity is one of the most important necessities in human life. No one can continue living without electricity. The consequences of power failure in Gaza Strip has caused a lot of problems in all areas of life here.

The Details :

Solar Energy Project, is a project made to use the sun's energy to produce electricity at home. Through this project, 3 homes will be targeted at 100% which will come with the amazing results of the reality of life for these families.

These three houses will dispense the industrial electricity 100%  The families will be able to run electrical appliances As "  washingmachines, refrigerator, water heater, fan, television ... etc "

The cost of solar panels in one home is 2.600 Euro . 

The fund will go for purchasing the solar panels, wires, batteries, power adapters and chargers, and power supply which will be used to produce Electricity from the sun .

 Last April, a  first experiment succeeded in installing solar panels for three houses in  Gaza Strip, and now we re-experiment it because I have received dozens of calls asking for the project. 

To achieve this project and make it successful, to help all children to see and do their homework, to play at night with other children of the same age. Let's help them and make smiles on their faces. Children must be saved from the siege. Thus, I need your financial support or spread this Link with your Friends, Family and others on Social Media.

All special documents will be sent to you via e-mail or via the updates .

More Details At : www.wrouk.com

Contact ’Me At :  walid.m.rouk@gmail.com