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Israel Feuds with Agency Set Up to Aid Palestinians

(New York Times) Greg Myre - For years, Israel has feuded with the UN refugee agency for Palestinians over a wide range of issues, and recently Israel thought it had found a smoking gun to press its case. Based on a grainy videotape shot from a spy plane, Israel asserted that Palestinians in Gaza City had placed a rocket of the type being launched against Israel into a UN ambulance. Israel backed off its charge. Still, the case highlighted the running battle between Israel and the refugee agency. Israel contends that the agency's Palestinian workers have helped Palestinian militants, and the militants have often gained access to UN ambulances, schools, and other facilities. Since 2001, Israel has arrested and indicted 17 of the agency's workers, accusing them of assisting militants, and seven have been convicted by military courts. Israel has also criticized the agency's schools for using the same textbooks as the PA, saying the books preach incitement against Israel. "The education material raises the question of whether UNRWA schools are educating for peace or hate," said Israel's former UN envoy Dore Gold. Peter Hansen, the agency director, said recently that there were employees who supported groups like Hamas.
2004-10-19 00:00:00
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