The UN agency for Palestinian refugees announces that it has placed six staff members on administrative leave after a report from a pro-Israel watchdog revealed that the employees published posts on social media calling for violence against Jews.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says the report’s release was timed to disrupt the annual donor conference earlier this week in New York but nonetheless has taken action against the staff members who violated company protocol.
Other actions taken by UNRWA included “written censures, significant fines, deferment of eligibility for promotion, and in the case of daily paid staff, up to two-year prohibitions on working for the Agency — all measures exceeding the standards set by other UN agencies,” the agency says in a statement.
The report by UN Watch that led to the sanctions revealed that one UNRWA teacher in Jordan called on Muslims to “fight against the Jews and kill them,” another in Lebanon repeatedly called to “slaughter Zionists” and another in the West Bank hailed Hamas rocket attacks on Israel.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this