Human rights activist Bassem Eid lauds Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai for her generous contribution to the welfare of Palestinian children but warns that she may actually be funding terror.
Malala Yousafzai (Photo: JStone/Shutterstock)
Palestinian human rights activist and political analyst Bassem Eid published an open letter addressed to Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai in which he pleaded with her not to donate her prize money to Palestinian children through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). If she donates to UNRWA, “Palestinian refugee children will never benefit from it,” as the organization funds will up in the hands the Hamas terror group, Eid maintains.
“We hear that you are receiving the Nobel Peace Prize today in honor of your activity for peace in Pakistan. I congratulate you for your courage and for not being afraid to fight Radical Islam in your nation. I write this as a proud fellow Moslem. As I know how difficult it is with so many obstacles in your way, we need to support you and we are very proud of you,” Eid writes.
Yousafzai, who was targeted by the Taliban and almost killed, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last week for her fight to educate girls in Pakistan.
Yousafzai had announced that she would donate her prize money for Palestinian children.
“I also appreciate your decision to contribute your prize to the children of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, because they really need your help,” Eid writes.
However, “I must tell you that if you want to make such a donation, please do so in person and not through UNRWA,” Eid continues. “UNRWA funds in Gaza wind up in the hands of Radical Islam,” meaning the Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and any activity within the Strip.
“To state it simply,” he explains, “donors hand over funds to UNRWA officials who are affiliated with Hamas who then act according to principles of Radical Islam, not of the UN principles.”
Eid offers to “organize a trip for you to travel to Gaza to meet children there and to help you contribute your prize directly to children who need your help.”
Aiding and Abetting Hamas
Human Rights activist Bassem Eid presents Palestinian side on kidnapping of Israeli teens in July. (Photo: UWI)
UNRWA was accused of working with Hamas during Operation Protective Edge.
UNRWA admitted that 20 rockets were found in one of its vacant schools in Gaza during the war and that they returned the deadly weapons to Hamas terrorists.
This and other incidents involvingUNRWA have brought a bipartisan coalition of American senators to call for an independent investigation of the organization for its involvement in aiding Hamas terror activities before and during Operation Protective Edge. Former officials and critics of the international organization also urged Congress to entirely defund some of its agencies.
The central point of criticism is the fact that various UN facilities purporting to serve “Palestinian refugees” — schools and clinics, for example — were actually being used by Hamas to store and launch rockets at Israeli civilians.
Hamas further used the UNRWA facilities as launching pads for their rockets and refuge for their terrorists.
“So outrageously have several U.N. institutions behaved, before and during the current Gaza crisis, that the United States can no longer ignore or excuse it,” noted former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton in a recent column. “Congress must act to defund U.N. bodies that perform unacceptably — thereby denying them the resources and the legitimacy of American support and putting other UN agencies on notice they could face a similar fate.”
No Friend of Israel, Eid Still Opposes PA
At the beginning of July, when Israelis were reeling from the news of the murder of three innocent teenagers by Hamas terrorists, Eid told journalists in Jerusalem that even “moderate” Palestinians had been pleased about the kidnapping – in order to pressure Israel into trading them for Palestinian prisoners – but that they were “sorry” the boys had been killed. Murder “wasn’t the target,” he stated.
While keeping in mind that Eid is not an Israel supporter, it should be noted that even he believes that the Palestinian Authority should not be funded by the West. A corrupt entity, the PA is detrimental to the welfare of the Palestinian people, he says.
By: United with Israel Staff
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