UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (APP): Two Israeli arson attacks and growing protests forced the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, to temporarily close its office in occupied East Jerusalem this week, but its vital work will continue as war rages in Gaza and settlers violence rises in the West Bank, Senior Communications Manager Jonathan Fowler has said.<\/p>\n
For roughly two months, demonstrations have been held outside the East Jerusalem compound, which is in an area where many Israeli settlements are located.<\/p>\n
The situation came to a head on Thursday evening when Israeli residents lit fires at two locations on the perimeter of the grounds. Fowler was among the small number of staff in the office at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fire alarm was ringing, and we looked out of the window, and I saw smoke kind of billowing over the top of the building,\u201d he said, speaking from Amman, Jordan after leaving Jerusalem on Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Colleagues who went to douse the fire, to prevent it from spreading, were \u201ctreated to stone throwing by groups of youths who had gathered on the street opposite.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, on the other side of the compound, another fire had been lit at a fence next to a petrol station for UNRWA vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that fire had reached the gas station, I dread to think what would have happened to the houses, the apartment blocks that live right nearby. We would have been in a situation of an absolute disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini condemned the attack, which followed a protest just days before that turned violent.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople were gathering, and they were starting to get wooden sticks and stones, and there was some sort of bash against the gate,\u201d Mr. Fowler said, recalling the demonstration on Tuesday. \u201cAnd the police were just kind of there in the background.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although an investigation into the fires is underway, he pointed to the wider issue of increased tension around UNRWA\u2019s work following the war in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a sense that this kind of behaviour has been encouraged, and encouraged, and encouraged by inflammatory rhetoric,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we go from inflammatory rhetoric to real flames in the space of a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fowler said the protests against UNRWA have been \u201ccalled by different organizations and individuals,\u201d including one of Jerusalem\u2019s deputy mayors, and there has been no noticeable increased police presence despite the repeated demonstrations.<\/p>\n
While upholding the right to freedom of expression, \u201ceven if we don\u2019t agree with the contents of what is shouted at us\u201d, he said things have \u201csort of moved into a territory of intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Demonstrators have blocked the gates to the UN compound, and in one instance surrounded the car of a staff member while brandishing toy weapons. Shuttle buses transporting UN staff have been slapped on the sides and spat at, and the people onboard filmed.<\/p>\n
So far, staff have not faced any incidents of intimidation after working hours. \u201cWe have to hope sincerely that we don\u2019t get to that kind of level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fowler underscored that it is incumbent on Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure the proper protection of UN facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel this is not happening,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s clear from the evidence, and it\u2019s part of the context of a much wider campaign against UNRWA, basically to undermine the agency; things like use of lawfare to try to argue that legally we have no right to be in our compounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although the East Jerusalem premises are closed for the time being, he insisted that staff will not be deterred in carrying out their work. They have made a \u201cCOVID-like\u201d pivot, where people work from home or other locations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt complicates our functioning at a time when of course, we should be fully focussed on the unprecedented levels of violence in the West Bank and, it goes without saying, the enormous, unprecedented level of humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fowler underlined UNRWA\u2019s mandate, established nearly 75 years ago by the UN General Assembly, to provide services to Palestine refugees, which includes healthcare, education and social support.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud of our work. Many of us are deeply passionate about our work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do it because we have a mandate from the United Nations system to do something. Until such time as that mandate no longer exists, we\u2019re not going anywhere, whatever anybody might like to say.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that in response to the hostilities against UNRWA there have been a number of \u201crobust public statements\u201d from donors to the agency, saying \u201cenough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS, May 11 (APP): Two Israeli arson attacks and growing protests forced the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, to temporarily close its office in occupied East Jerusalem this week, but its vital work will continue as war rages in Gaza and settlers violence rises […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":106431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-world-news"],"yoast_head":"\n