Jim Bratten
May 14, 2018 was the date observed among Palestinians as the 70th anniversary of the “Day of Catastrophe” – the founding of the State of Israel.
Somehow, the opening ceremony for the new U.S. embassy in the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, was scheduled on that day. An official recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel had been passed by Congress and signed into U.S. law years ago, but no U.S. president had ever taken the initiative to move the U.S. embassy there, although several promised. President Donald Trump declared the law fulfilled in 2017 and the new U.S. embassy would open there in 2018. As is his habit, it came in under budget and ahead of schedule. Another of his campaign promises was kept.
On cue, Hamas moved Palestinian jihadis toward the border to begin another violent assault against Israel.
Also on cue, American media launched an assault against Donald Trump. ABC’s “Good Morning America” blamed the Trump administration for the Gaza violence. NBC News accused the president of lacking compassion: “More than 40 people dead today and the White House isn’t offering condolences, not offering any sort of heart-felt comments on the loss of life…” Not one word about Hamas’ savagery, using women and children as “human shields” by placing them in the forefront of the planned violence at the border.
Ben Shapiro, writing in The Hill, commented on the disturbance in his piece, “Media Goes Wild in Anti-Trump, Anti-Israel Fervor,” that this is nothing new from Hamas: “According to the media, all of this is Israel’s fault — or the fault of the dastardly Trump administration. Never mind that Hamas has participated in ongoing war with Israel since its election in 2006, the year after Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip. Never mind that Hamas routinely locates terrorists among civilians in order to mislead the media into believing that Israel targets civilians… No, it’s Ivanka Trump’s fault.” But the media ignored something important lurking behind the violence…
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) teaches in the Palestinian schools in Gaza. U.S. taxpayers send our money to UNRWA as part of our support for the United Nations (UN). To foment violence in Gaza? It certainly looks that way, particularly when you see the curriculum content in the UN-provided textbooks used to teach young Palestinians.
New videos show UNRWA workers’ involvement in inciting violence, allegedly encouraging young Palestinian children to take part in violence against Israel. These videos show Palestinian children burning Israeli flags, instructed by UNRWA teachers to “reclaim their land by any means necessary.” In the videos several young Palestinian students are interviewed, all responding to the question: “Do they teach you about the ‘right to return’ in school?”
One child answered, “Of course. We are taught how to defend our land, how to recapture our land…” Another responded, “With Allah’s help, we will return to our village. What was taken by force will be returned by force, with jihad and all its means.” A third Palestinian child answered, “We will liberate our land by all means necessary: by weapons, stabbing, and car ramming.” The fourth explained, “Non-violent resistance will not help. We need to use weapons; we need jihad to fight by all means. The most important thing is that we will return to our land.”
UNRWA denies it assisted in violence or teaches it to Palestinian children.
The U.S. gives $360 million in funding to UNRWA every year; more than the next four highest contributing countries, combined. At least the Trump administration is starting to demand revision of the UNRWA curriculum, pulling $65 million so far this year. Since Hamas is no ally of the U.S. and is a recognized terror organization, the entire $360 million should be returned.
Hoosier Patriots, Inc. is an educational and organizational non-profit for restoration, preservation and defense of the Constitution. We provide conservative commentary on public policy and government action across a variety of issues concerning the well-being of the republic. For more information go to www.vc-tpp.org or subscribe to the newsletter at hpnw.jimb@gmail.com.
