Cotton to Biden: Continued support for the UNRWA funds terrorist sctivities and prolongs war

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Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to impose terrorism sanctions on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The Biden-Harris administration’s support for the UNRWA threatens American national security and enables continued violence while American hostages remain in Gaza. 

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“Congress blocked funding to UNRWA earlier this year because of its ties to Hamas. Yet your administration continues to ignore both legislative intent and plain common sense. Your administration’s inadequate oversight has almost certainly enabled U.S. funds to flow to UNRWA affiliates. You even lectured Israel about its proposal to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization. Your administration has become UNRWA’s most prominent apologist and best advocate. ”

Full text of the letter may be found here and below.

October 23, 2024

President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500                               

I write to protest the Biden-Harris administration’s continued support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and to urge you to impose terrorism sanctions on the agency. Your advocacy for the Hamas-affiliated UNRWA as “indispensable” to humanitarian aid in Gaza undercuts America’s national-security interests by prolonging the Israel-Hamas war, enabling continued violence, and sustaining enemies actively holding American hostages in Gaza.

Congress blocked funding to UNRWA earlier this year because of its ties to Hamas. Yet your administration continues to ignore both legislative intent and plain common sense. Your administration’s inadequate oversight has almost certainly enabled U.S. funds to flow to UNRWA affiliates. You even lectured Israel about its proposal to designate UNRWA as a terrorist organization. Your administration has become UNRWA’s most prominent apologist and best advocate. 

The evidence for UNRWA’s complicity in Hamas’s terrorist activity is overwhelming. UNRWA itself admitted that many of its members participated in the October 7 attacks. Hamas terrorists have fired against Israel from UNRWA clinics. Israel has found weapons stashes in UNRWA facilities as well as tunnel shafts around and under those facilities. An Israeli hostage revealed he had been held in a UNRWA employee’s house. And Israel reportedly found a passport belonging to a UNRWA teacher on Yahya Sinwar’s body this week as well as UNRWA food bags in his bunker.

You must end your support for those who abet terrorism. I call on you to use your authority under Executive Order 13224 to designate UNRWA as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity, allowing the U.S. to impose sanctions and block UNRWA assets.

Sincerely,                           

Tom Cotton
United States Senator                     

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton to UN: Is Hamas a terrorist organization?

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today wrote a letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, highlighting his refusal to refusal to call Hamas a terrorist organization in the wake of their brutal execution of six hostages. Senator Cotton pointed out the UN’s repeated false equivalencies between the nation of Israel and the terrorist group Hamas.

In part, Senator Cotton wrote:

“Could you please answer this simple question: Is Hamas a terrorist organization?”

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

September 10, 2024

Mr. Volker Türk
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations Plaza
New York, New York 10017

Dear Mr. Türk:

I write regarding your shocking failure to condemn the terrorists of Hamas. While you preen as the moral voice of the world, you’ve refused to call Hamas a terrorist organization and repeatedly drawn a false equivalence between Hamas and Israel.

You and your United Nations colleagues should immediately and unequivocally call Hamas what it is: a terrorist organization. The United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Australia, Japan, and even the European Union took this action long ago.

Yet moral blindness unfortunately seems to be your modus operandi—never more evident than in your statement earlier this month after Hamas executed six hostages. Although you professed that you were “horrified” by the executions, you failed even to mention Hamas as the murderer and called for an “independent” investigation into the killing. Hamas had already admitted to these barbaric murders, so I’m not sure what such an investigation would prove.

Of course, the United Nation has an obscene penchant for targeting and smearing Israel. From the UN’s infamous “Zionism is Racism” resolution a half century ago to its parroting of Hamas casualty numbers today, the UN consistently sides with terrorists against the Jewish state. Your office especially has shown contempt for Israel, repeatedly posting criticisms of Israel on your official social-media accounts and falsely accusing Israel of war crimes.

Your moral equivalence between brutal terrorists and a nation-state protecting its citizens is appalling. You have painted Israel as the aggressor while ignoring that Hamas bears responsibility for civilian deaths in Gaza.

But you can address these concerns with very little effort by simply joining the rest of the civilized world. Could you please answer this simple question: Is Hamas a terrorist organization?

Please respond to this letter no later than September 17. To make it very easy for you, I’ll happily accept a letter that says nothing more than “Hamas is a terrorist organization” between the salutation and the signature line.

Surely you can muster the courage to do that?

Sincerely,

____________________

Tom Cotton

United States Senator

Boozman, Casey, Scott Introduce Bill to Combat Antisemitism on College Campuses

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The bill will help address antisemitic sentiment and action on college campuses, which has been rising across the nation for years and spiked in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, by requiring the U.S. Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. 

“Colleges and universities have seen a disturbing trend of emboldened intimidation and hate towards Jewish students, faculty and others in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel. This intolerable and horrifying behavior has no place in our academic community, and the Department of Education should move swiftly to hold accountable anyone promoting antisemitism on campus,” Boozman said.

“Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on October 7 led to a dramatic increase in antisemitism on college campuses,” said Casey. “Amidst this appalling increase, we must do everything we can to protect Jewish students on college campuses. This bill will make sure that going forward, the Education Department will take action against all forms of antisemitic discrimination.”

“Our nation’s institutions of higher learning have become hotbeds of antisemitism, especially in the wake of the brutal attacks against Israel and innocent civilians by Hamas and Iran,” said Scott. “It’s critical the Department of Education has the tools and resources it needs to investigate antisemitism and root out this vile hatred wherever it rears its ugly head.” 

The Antisemitism Awareness Act would make permanent the Department of Education’s usage of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which is a vital tool helping to clarify and identify the various manifestations of prejudice and hate against the state of Israel and the Jewish community. Since 2018, the Department of Education has used the IHRA definition when investigating violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

In addition to Boozman, Casey and Scott, the Antisemitism Awareness Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), James Lankford (R-OK), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rick Scott (R-FL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Coons (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), John Cornyn (R-TX), Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

Arkansas AG calls for removal of foreign student visa holders supporting terrorist groups

KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

Arkansas’ attorney general led a coalition calling on federal officials to remove student visa holders who support terror activity from groups like Hamas.

Attorney General Tim Griffin on Wednesday sent a letter on behalf of 20 state attorneys general to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas asking them to “vigorously renew vetting of foreign student visa holders” and remove anyone who has endorsed terrorist activity or provided “material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”

“Antisemitism and anti-Israel activity are unwelcome in Arkansas,” Griffin said in a statement. “Threats of violence against Jews are anathema to our American values and all who respect human dignity.”

Arkansas AG calls for removal of foreign student visa holders supporting terrorist groups

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, left, gestures during a news conference at the Arkansas Capitol.