UNRWA in Refugee Camp
UNRWA in Refugee CampIsrael news photo: Flash 90

On the Pope's travel agenda in his journeys in the the Holy Land is a visit to the Dehaishe refugee camp, a hotbed of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish terrorism. On his visit, the Pope is expected to visit the Dehaishe Youth Club – perhaps the center of terror activity in the camp.

Among other things, the Pope will be “treated” to a rogue's gallery of images of “the martyrs” - sons of the camp who were killed blowing themselves up in Israeli population centers, or killed or captured by IDF soldiers as they attempted to carry out a terror attack. According to David Bedein, director of the Israel Resource News Agency & The Center for Near East Policy Research and an expert on UNWRA policy in the Middle East, the club is operated by UNWRA, the UN refugee agency that exists solely to provide succor to Palestinian residents of refugee camps.

Despite having a chartered responsibility to encourage peace in the region, and despite promises to do so in the past, UNWRA has not removed the photos of these terrorists, Bedein says – and he knows this because a photographer took pictures of the club – and the Pope, on his visit to the club, will be guided through the terrorist photo gallery.

While the Pope will no doubt mouth platitudes about “the suffering of the refugees,” said Bedein, “no one will ask why they are still refugees. No one will ask why the Palestinians refuse to move out of the refugee camps.” The reason, of course, said Bedein, is that the Palestinian leaders want to “preserve” their suffering in order to use it as a weapon against Israel, preferring to see peasants live in wretched conditions in refugee camps rather than allow them to live normally.

On his last visit to the UN, Bedein said that he was presented information about UNWRA's anti-Israel activities, and found some ready listeners. Representatives from Canada and the US promised to conduct an investigation on the matter. Bedein believes that if international pressure is increased on the UN group, it will be forced to change its ways. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, has recently spoken out against UNWRA's activities as well, said Bedein. “Who ever heard of a social agency that encourages the murder of children?” asked Bedein in disbelief.