Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen clashed Monday on whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) could effectively be replaced in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
ISRAEL, DENMARK FMS MEET
(ILTV)
The United Nations agency is slated to cease operations at the end of the month. At a joint press conference, Sa’ar stated that Israel is committed to ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“There are more organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and countries participating in this effort,” Sa’ar said. “We don’t have any trust in an organization that demonstrated that its personnel were involved in terrorism, were infiltrated by Hamas, and that its installations were used as command and communication centers for Hamas.”
Sa’ar explained that Israeli legislation passed last year prohibits the country’s authorities from engaging with UNRWA and bars the agency from operating within Israel. The legislation effectively mandates the termination of UNRWA’s activities in the region.
Rasmussen countered, saying that he and Sa’ar “do not see eye to eye” on the matter and affirmed Denmark’s “steadfast support” of UNRWA, contributing around $75 million annually.
“There have been, and perhaps to some extent still are, problems linked to individuals within the organization of UNRWA,” Rasmussen said, noting that all parties should work hard to address these issues. However, he added, “We cannot see any alternative to UNRWA, at least not in the short-term perspective. If you look at the West Bank, I think UNRWA is the second-largest employer.
“In order to ensure that we have the needed infrastructure to provide for the Palestinians in the region—the West Bank, Gaza, and the surrounding countries—with access to healthcare, education, etc., we do not see any alternative.”
Israel accused several UNRWA employees of participating in the October 7 massacre against Israel and alleged that others had ties to the terror organization.
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Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen (left) with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar
(Maayan Hoffman)
Sa’ar hosted Rasmussen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on Monday. The two leaders began with an extended private meeting, followed by discussions with their respective teams, and concluded with a joint press conference.
The visit largely focused on the hostage-for-ceasefire deal, regional security concerns, and opportunities for economic and technological collaboration.