CIJA fighting for accountability from federal government over renewing UNWRA funding

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FAILS TO STOP LEGAL PROCEEDINGS CHALLENGING DECISION TO RESUME UNRWA FUNDING

Ottawa, ON – September 12, 2024 – Yesterday, the Federal Court rejected the government’s motion to dismiss the application for judicial review of the Government of Canada’s decision to resume funding for the controversial United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The Honourable Madam Justice McVeigh rejected the Government’s arguments that the Minister of International Development’s decision was not reviewable by the courts or that the enabling statutes did not constrain his decision.

This means that the application by Dikla Mizrachi, mother of Ben Mizrachi; Iris Liniado, daughter of Judih Weinstein Haggai; Jacqui Vital, mother of Adi Vital-Kaploun; Raquel Ohnona, mother of Alexandre Look; together with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) to have the March 8, 2024, decision by the Minister of International Development to resume UNRWA funding declared unreasonable will proceed before the Federal Court.

QUOTES

Richard Marceau, Vice President, External Affairs and General Counsel, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs:

“We are pleased that the court determined that reviewing the government’s decision to resume funding to UNRWA does indeed fall within their jurisdiction. We can now focus on the real issue: that legally, morally, and politically, Ottawa’s decision to resume funding for UNRWA was wrong.

“The Canadian families who lost loved ones in Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attacks on October 7 have faced the most unbearable of losses, which is why, together we are fighting to reverse the decision and disqualify UNRWA from further Canadian funding.”

Co-counsel for the applicants, Lawrence Greenspon, Senior Partner, Greenspon Granger Hill:

“There is no dispute that humanitarian aid is needed and must urgently reach the civilian population in Gaza, but UNRWA cannot be the agency to fulfill this responsibility. This is not an application to stop Canadian funding for humanitarian aid; it is an application designed to ensure that humanitarian aid actually gets to the people of Gaza who are in desperate need.”

Co-counsel for the applicants, Jillian Siskind, Partner, Siskind Doyle:

“The government and its actors are not above the law. The Minister’s decision may be discretionary, but it is not immune from review by the Courts. We are grateful that, with this decision, the court reinforced the government’s accountability to every Canadian.”

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Additional Background

• Judgment: Motion to Strike Dismissed – Federal Court of Canada, September 11, 2024
• Press Release: UNRWA Funding: CIJA Demands Federal Government Accountability
• Motion Record of the Applicants in Response on behalf of Dikla Mizrach, Iris Liniado (née Weinstein Haggai), Jacqui Vital, Raquel Ohnona, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs
• Press Release: Canadian Families of Hamas Victims and CIJA are Taking the Canadian Government to Court Over its Decision to Resume Funding for UNRWA
• Select sources for UNRWA corruption and ties to / collaboration with Hamas:
  • UNRWA: The Neutrality and Inviolability of UNRWA Installations Must be Respected at All Times and Cache of Rockets Found in UN School in Gaza
  • UN Watch: UNRWA Education: Reform or Regression?; Abu Yaseen Glorifies Terrorism for Children; Nihaya Awad, Computer Teacher at UNRWA West Bank, Praises Hamas; and Hana’a Daoud, UNRWA teacher in Jordan, Advocates Killing Jews
  • NGO Monitor: The UNRWA Constellation: Partnerships with UN Agencies and Terror-Linked NGOs
  • Al Jazeera: Ethics report accuses UNRWA leadership of abuse of power
  • Newsweek: Congress Needs to Review UN Agency's Terror Finance Problem
  • The Wall Street Journal: Intelligence Reveals Details of U.N. Agency Staff’s Links to Oct. 7 Attack and Halts Funding for U.N. Agency Amid Claims Staff Took Part in Oct. 7 Attacks
  • The Jerusalem Post: Released hostage says he was held by UNRWA teacher in Gaza - report
  • The Times of Israel: Directly beneath UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters, IDF uncovers top secret Hamas data center
• Press Release: Unionized Jewish Employees Taking PSAC – Canada’s Largest Federal Public Service Union – To Canadian Human Rights Commission

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