We could’ve predicted the reactions to the enforcement mission at the former UNRWA compound in Jerusalem.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement expressing his outrage over Israel’s actions. The UN spokesperson condemned the operation by Israeli security forces during his press briefing. A number of foreign ministers, most of them from Europe, voiced their disapproval.
It was never a question of if this would happen, but when. Recently, Israeli authorities completed their mission.
This move was not a matter of choice. It was a matter of necessity.
Exposing UNRWA
Over the past few years, we have exposed UNRWA for what it truly is. It has become increasingly clear that the UN agency established to assist Palestinian refugees functioned, in practice, as an active arm of the Hamas terrorist organization.
UNRWA employees participated directly in the October 7 massacre, including acts of murder and kidnapping. Throughout the war, Hamas terrorists operated from UNRWA schools, using the agency’s facilities to store weapons and conduct military activities.
Even deep into the conflict, UNRWA continued employing thousands of individuals who simultaneously held positions within Hamas’s military wings. They taught in classrooms that incited hatred against Israel by day and planned terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians by night.
Even before October 7, UNRWA had become the problem rather than the solution. Instead of helping resolve the Palestinian refugee issue, it perpetuated it and fueled the conflict. Numerous reports documented the incitement and hatred promoted in UNRWA schools, shaping another generation of Palestinians through anti-Israel indoctrination. But after October 7, the agency’s conduct crossed every possible line.
And, yes, Guterres did not condemn the terrorist acts carried out under the auspices of the organization he leads. Nor did we hear any unequivocal statements from the UN spokesperson during the daily press briefing about it.
A controversy for Israel
When it comes to Israeli actions, there is no shortage of outrage and headlines. But when legitimate criticism is directed at the United Nations, the response is silence.
The Knesset was right when, by an overwhelming, cross-party majority in 2024, it passed legislation prohibiting UNRWA from operating within Israel. Israeli authorities were equally justified in acting decisively in every UNRWA facility in Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.
The action in east Jerusalem was the most recent enforcement action.
Secretary-General Guterres, let me make one point absolutely clear: this property is not owned by the United Nations. Furthermore, following the termination of the Comay-Michelmore Agreement in January 2025, UNRWA has no legal authority to operate in Jerusalem.
The United Nations itself has acknowledged the grave failures within UNRWA. Recently, it quietly dismissed 70 UNRWA employees because of their involvement in terrorist activities.
However, unlike UNRWA, we are not trapped in the past. We are focused on the future.
The Jerusalem Municipality is now turning this building into a new school for east Jerusalem. Instead of a facility associated with incitement and extremism, Israel is investing in an institution that will offer hundreds of children in the neighborhood the opportunity for a better future.
Soon, children in east Jerusalem will attend a quality educational institution that is part of Israel’s education system. They will be taught respect, tolerance, science, and history.
UNRWA belongs in the past. Our focus is on building a better future.
The writer is Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.