January 29, 2024
BEN FORDHAM: Joining us on the line is the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, James Paterson. James Paterson, good morning to you.
JAMES PATERSON: Good morning Ben.
FORDHAM: So they were given the warning and initially they ignored it.
PATERSON: That's exactly right Ben. Concerns about UNRWA have been well known for some time. The allegations that we've been reading about in the media in the last few days are just the latest in a long line of serious allegations about UNRWA, which have included that UNRWA textbooks taught in UN schools in Gaza have included anti-Semitic content and content glorifying terrorists. Has included that UNRWA funds have been siphoned off by Hamas, and used for their nefarious activities including the building of terrorist tunnels. But of course, involvement in the 7th of October terrorist attacks are the most serious possible allegations you could make about a UN agency and that's why even UNRWA itself is investigating this, in a rare move. But the worst thing about this Ben is that Jewish community leaders on the 19th of December, wrote to the Prime Minister, wrote to the Foreign Minister, warned them about this. The Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister didn't even have the courtesy to respond. And then two weeks ago, the Foreign Minister, on her trip to the Middle East, announced another $6 million of Australian taxpayers money to this organisation, which in the last 24 hours, humiliatingly, she's had to pause given these serious allegations.
FORDHAM: How do we know where the money's going?
PATERSON: We don't Ben. That is the simple truth. And there's very good reason to believe that the money isn't going, or at least not all of the money is going to where it's intended to go. Of course, there's a genuine humanitarian need in Gaza right now, but there are safer ways than giving it to UNRWA, which has a very checkered past, and it's been repeatedly criticised, and there's well documented evidence on the public record for years now about the problems with UNRWA.
FORDHAM: Well, they can't say they weren't warned, as you said. They were warned in writing on the 19th of December. Keep up the pressure. Thanks for jumping on the line.
PATERSON: Thanks, Ben.
ENDS
