Opposition MK sets up mock office inside UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, urging government to take it over

Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky set up a makeshift “parliamentary office” at the former East Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations’ Palestinian relief agency UNRWA earlier today, in protest of the government’s failure to “assert its sovereignty” over the compound.

Malinovsky, an opposition member from the Yisrael Beytenu party, sponsored one of two bills passed in October that effectively barred the agency from operating in Israel, and drastically curtailed its activities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel alleges that more than 10% of UNRWA’s staff in Gaza have ties to terror, and that educational facilities under the organization’s auspices consistently incite hatred of Israel and glorify terror.

“Back in January of this year, the laws against UNRWA came into effect, yet to this very day, Israel has not asserted its sovereignty over the former UNRWA compound in the heart of Jerusalem,” said Malinovsky at the site, according to Yisrael Beytenu’s spokesperson.

“Despite all the promises, the Israel Land Authority has not entered the former headquarters of this group of terrorists,” she said.

“Because they didn’t do it, I had no choice — I did. I set up a parliamentary office in the compound. I invite the general public to come and visit,” she said, adding that “I especially invite the government ministers who are incapable of doing something so simple.”

“Today is Jerusalem Day, when we mark the unification of Jerusalem — in other words, our sovereignty over Jerusalem. Unfortunately, the current government does not understand what sovereignty means,” she said.

In a video shared by the party spokesperson, Malinovsky explains that police have arrived to remove her and the crowd from the premises, and calls on “all members of Knesset, from all parties,” to join her in protest.

Police later took apart the mock parliamentary office and removed Malinovsky and activists accompanying her from the compound.

An UNRWA spokesperson tells The Times of Israel regarding the incident that “members of the Israeli Knesset and other individuals have illegally come into the UN compound,” constituting “a breach of the privileges and immunities of the UN.”

UNRWA will issue an official statement in response to the event at a later time, the spokesperson adds.

Sam Sokol contributed to this report.