JNS article on Smith's new UNRWA bill'New House bill would bar United States from donating to UNRWA'

By Jonathan D. Salant Published July 23, 2026 The United States would be banned from making donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency under legislation that Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) introduced on Thursday. “For more than 23 years, I have been sounding the alarm on UNRWA and its longstanding record of antisemitism and Jew-hatred,” stated Smith, co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. “UNRWA is one of the chief drivers of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, and the United States government should play no part in supporting or financing this hate-filled organization’s operations,” he stated. Smith, who introduced similar legislation in the last Congress, said that UNRWA has a long history of using antisemitic rhetoric and distributing antisemitic materials. The former offices of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Jerusalem, Jan. 20, 2026. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90. “UNRWA is antisemitic from top to bottom,” he stated. “Through its textbooks and materials praising terrorist groups and condemning the Jewish people, this organization teaches Palestinian children to hate Jews, essentially functioning as a child soldier factory.” Agencies and people that receive humanitarian assistance from UNRWA through other agencies would not be cut off from U.S. funds as long as “the secretary of state certifies to Congress that such agencies or entities do not promote, espouse or affiliate with entities or individuals that promote violence, terrorism or antisemitism, or employ individuals who do the same,” the bill states. Earlier this month, Lawler and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J) introduced legislation to dismantle UNRWA altogether and provide humanitarian aid via other organizations. This article was published on July 23, 2026 and can be found online at: https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/new-house-bill-would-bar-united-states-from-donating-to-unrwa