A controversial UN agency with alleged ties to anti-Jewish terror has received $286 million from Canadian taxpayers since 2016.

“We will immediately stop funding UNRWA and start funding our own NATO allies instead,” Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman told the Commons November 4. Aid to the agency totalled $285.9 million, according to new figures.

Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, earlier praised UNRWA as “the only organization able to concretely” help Palestinians. 

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Global Affairs Canada could not provide detailed information on where the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spent the money. 

UNRWA, established in 1949, was formed under the guise of supporting the health and education needs of some 5.9 million Palestinians across the globe.

The Trudeau government temporarily ceased funding to the agency on January 26, after its director terminated 12 staff for suspected involvement in the October 7 attacks in southern Israel. It recommitted millions more in funding months later.

“No one can forgive the $100 million the government has shipped to UNRWA, an agency founded to employ terrorists, which participated in the October 7 massacre and is now trying to argue it is legally immune from being responsible for doing so,” said MP Lantsman. 

“At what point does the Liberal government move UNRWA from the willful ignorance column to the willing co-conspirator column and stop sending Canadian tax dollars that are funding terror?” she asked.

Of the taxpayer funding, an unspecified amount went to “identify, monitor and follow up on neutrality violations” within the organization and to maintain transparency on its humanitarian mandate, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

A UN WATCH report identified 133 UNRWA educators and staff who previously promoted hate and violence on social media, suggesting antisemitism and terror indoctrination is systemic at the agency.

The Official Opposition previously said the federal government should be “ashamed” for funding “foreign terrorists and dictators.” However, the feds claimed no aid went to “nefarious actors” in Gaza.

Global Affairs Canada said they took precautions against the misappropriation of millions by terrorist groups, but did not explain further.

Parliamentarians have been divided over Canada’s response to the Israel-Hamas war after Tel Aviv led a retaliatory bombing and military ground campaign in northern Gaza last Fall.

Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre went on to pledge a “cut back” in UNRWA funding following the October 7 attacks, if elected prime minister. “We warned what would happen if you gave money to UNRWA,” he said at the time. “We [need to] cut funding.” 

International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen urged decisive action against staff involved in the attacks, but fell short of making a commitment similar to Poilievre. 

Hussen then said that UNRWA “cannot be replaced,” calling it “the backbone of the humanitarian response.” 

“We don’t need more obstacles to get in the way of aid getting in. We already have enough obstacles,” he added. 

Minister Joly deplored any boycott of the agency on October 29. “Of course we know UNRWA had issues,” she told reporters, while calling for reform to address security concerns.

“But at the same time fundamentally what we’re seeing in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe,” she said. “We cannot punish people receiving the aid, … and we cannot punish the work of humanitarian workers who are just trying to help.”

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