In January 2025, ELNET-Israel hosted its quarterly “Briefing and Breakfast with European Ambassadors” to discuss possible alternatives to UNRWA following two new Israeli laws that restrict the organization’s activities. The speaker was Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of “UN-Watch.”

Mr. Neuer provided evidence on Hamas affiliation of senior UNRWA workers, on statements by UNRWA workers praising terrorist attacks on social media, and on the involvement of UNRWA workers in the atrocities of October 7. The presentation was followed by a frank Q&A session, between Mr. Neuer and European ambassadors, focusing on possible alternatives to UNRWA for the distribution of humanitarian aid.


Mr. Neuer argued that the only way to create a legitimate, sustainable local agency in Gaza would be through “Palestinian responsibility,” which would include developing self-sustaining infrastructures funded by local taxes and redesigning the education system to promote peace rather than hatred.
The discussion also touched on the issue of antisemitic textbooks used in Gazan UNRWA schools Mr. Neuer stressed that the focus should not just be on the content of the textbooks themselves but on how these narratives are interpreted and conveyed to students by UNRWA teachers.


In the final part of the briefing, the ambassadors inquired about UNRWA’s presence in other countries like Jordan, and about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Mr. Neuer responded that UNRWA is unique in its treatment of Palestinian refugees, granting them refugee status that is passed down through generations, unlike UNHCR (United National High Commissioner for Refugees), the UN agency for refugees. He reiterated that, while Israel has a responsibility to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, it is equally important to pressure the UN to allow other organizations to distribute aid in Gaza.
Read the full UN Watch report here: