Latest news with #TPS-IL
New York Post
05-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Battle for biblical archaeology intensifies as Israeli researchers face academic boycott
TEL AVIV – A leading archaeology journal has effectively barred submissions by Israelis on Judea and Samaria unless they 'have cooperated with the relevant Palestinian authorities,' in what analysts say is a microcosm of the harm caused by a global campaign to whitewash the Jewish people's history in the Land of Israel. According to a report recently published by The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), the Palestine Exploration Quarterly (PEQ)—a peer-reviewed journal of the London-based Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)—is refusing to accept submissions from researchers affiliated with institutions operating in what it refers to as 'occupied territory,' citing concerns over alleged Israeli violations of international law. 'Publication in PEQ is guided by the PEF's ethical policy. The main aspect of this is international law, by which many academic institutions and publications, including PEQ, are bound,' Charlotte Whiting, the journal's editor-in-chief, told TPS-IL. The journal's website states that it 'does not collaborate with institutions founded by an occupying power based in any occupied territory, and will not support, encourage, fund, or publish research by any academic associated with such institutions.' Israeli archaeologists told TPS-IL that any cooperation with Palestinian authorities or colleagues was practically impossible, because they 'would be treated as traitors for this.' They also said that their work is in many instances shunned by the broader academic world and, as such, researchers are forgoing focus on the biblically significant areas of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to protect their careers. 'What we're seeing is a deliberate attempt to undermine Jewish historical ties to the land,' Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, the cradle of Jewish civilization located in Judea, told Fox News Digital. 'There are three strategies at play: the Palestinians either acknowledge Jews were once here but argue they no longer belong, deny any Jewish connection at all, or destroy the evidence outright.' 4 Israeli archaeologists told TPS-IL that any cooperation with Palestinian authorities or colleagues was practically impossible. AP Fleisher noted ongoing efforts by Palestinian authorities and others to rename historical Jewish sites. 'They call Hebron 'Al-Khalil,' and the Cave of the Patriarchs becomes the 'Ibrahimi Mosque.' The Temple Mount is now the 'Al-Aqsa complex,' and Rachel's Tomb has been rebranded as the 'Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque,'' he said. To counter this, he says Israeli advocates are working to mark and preserve ancient Jewish landmarks. 'We added an Israeli flag and a menorah to a building originally constructed by King Herod 2,000 years ago—which itself stands atop a tomb dating back 3,500 years—to make it unmistakably clear it's a Jewish site, despite the later addition of three minarets by Muslim conquerors.' The Palestinian Authority, which gained non-member observer state status at the United Nations in 2012, has been spearheading the campaign to rewrite history in global forums that contain automatic anti-Israel majorities. Among them is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which in 2016 registered the Cave of the Patriarchs—the resting place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah located in Hebron—in the name of the 'State of Palestine' on its 'List of World Heritage in Danger.' More recently, UNESCO, in September 2023, named the Tell es-Sultan site near Jericho, which contains ruins dating back to the ninth millennium BCE, including evidence of one of humanity's first-known villages, as a 'World Heritage Site in Palestine.' 4 Hebron is the cradle of Jewish civilization located in Judea. Sygma via Getty Images In December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution referring to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site—located in Jerusalem but beyond the 1967 borders—only by its Muslim name, 'Haram al-Sharif.' In September 2024, P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas called the Temple Mount the 'exclusive property of Muslims.' Last week, Abbas said in a rare televised speech that the Koran describes the Jewish Temple as being in Yemen. Naomi Kahn, director of the international division at Regavim, a think tank focused on Israeli sovereignty, said the P.A. is actively building over key archaeological sites as part of this initiative. 'In Solomon's Pools, which is under P.A. jurisdiction in accordance with the Oslo Accords, they're constructing condominiums directly on top of ancient Jewish infrastructure,' Kahn told Fox News Digital. 'These are internationally recognized heritage sites, but the agreements are being violated. She cited the Hasmonean fortresses near Jericho as a major example. 'The burial grounds of Hasmonean kings—the largest necropolis in the Middle East from the Second Temple period—have been plowed and used for farming and construction. In one case, we found human bones scattered in the fields. The Israeli Civil Administration had to collect and rebury them.' Khan also referenced Sebastia, the Greco-Roman name for the ancient city of Samaria. Originally founded by King Omri in the 9th century BC, Samaria became the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, as noted in the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 16:24). It served as the kingdom's capital until it fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE. Centuries later, Herod the Great rebuilt the city and renamed it Sebaste—Sebastia in later usage—in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus, whose name in Greek, 'Sebastos,' carried the same imperial meaning. 4 Originally founded by King Omri in the 9th century BC, Samaria became the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, as noted in the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 16:24). In March of last year, Palestinian construction workers built an illegal road through Sebastia, which is located near the city of Nablus, also known by its biblical name, Shechem. Khan said other sites facing encroachment include Joshua's Altar, where a new Palestinian neighborhood is being developed nearby, and Joseph's Tomb, which is largely inaccessible to Jewish Israelis 'I'm disgusted, but not concerned,' Sandra Hagee Parker, Chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel Action Fund, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 'Where are the Romans, Ottomans, and Crusaders? The enemies of Israel are remembered only for their ultimate defeat by the God of Abraham and His children. 'Moreover, the grotesque effort to deny the Jewish connection to the Land is a rejection of God Himself,' she continued. 'It is both antisemitic and anti-Christian—and it will never succeed. My only concern is that America continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and her people,' she added. Ze'ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at the Jerusalem-based City of David Foundation, stressed that 'from its inception in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization—the forerunner of today's Palestinian Authority—was founded on the denial of thousands of years of Jewish history and heritage rooted in the Land of Israel in general, and in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria—the Biblical heartland—in particular. 'This denial,' Orenstein told Fox News Digital, 'aimed to delegitimize and undermine the Jewish people's legal, moral and historical right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel, portraying a people with some of the deepest archaeological ties to the land as occupiers and colonizers. 'For that reason, the Islamic Waqf carried out a campaign of systematic destruction of antiquities atop the Temple Mount in the late 1990s, and Palestinian leadership continues to deny, damage, and destroy Jewish heritage sites throughout Judea and Samaria,' he said. 4 A site facing encroachment is Joshua's Altar, where a new Palestinian neighborhood is being developed nearby. Google Maps In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2023 announced a $33 million program to safeguard and rehabilitate archaeological sites in the biblical heartland. 'In every corner of Judea and Samaria, one need only to put spade to ground in order to uncover archaeological finds that attest to our deep roots in the Land of Israel,' Netanyahu said at the time. 'This plan will encourage tourism, education and [present] information for these important sites that tell the story of our people in Judea and Samaria.' Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, professor at the Jerusalem University College and director of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel, cited biblical texts and ongoing excavations as proof of longstanding Jewish presence in the region. 'There are hundreds of biblical place names showing Jews lived in Judea and Samaria since the time of Abraham,' Heldt told Fox News Digital. 'The Palestinian Authority has tried to erase this evidence, but it's nearly impossible to eliminate.' Heldt pointed to Shiloh as a thriving example, with an active kibbutz and archaeological site where new discoveries are regularly unearthed. 'Jewish communities are not only living in their ancestral homeland—they're documenting it. You can see the impact of various layers of occupation over the last hundred years.' According to Heldt, whose organization hosts global lectures and educational programs on archaeological findings in Judea and Samaria, more international support is needed to protect these sites. 'We must involve the media, universities, artists, filmmakers and writers to tell these stories and make these places matter globally,' she said. The struggle to preserve Jewish historical sites in Judea and Samaria is not just about stones or ruins—it's a battle over narrative, legitimacy and identity, according to the experts. 'The way to fight this is to build, to educate and to assert our sovereignty,' Hebron's Fleisher said. 'That's how we strengthen our connection to the land and protect the truth of our history.'
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Battle for biblical archaeology intensifies as Israeli researchers face academic boycott
TEL AVIV - A leading archaeology journal has effectively barred submissions by Israelis on Judea and Samaria unless they "have cooperated with the relevant Palestinian authorities," in what analysts say is a microcosm of the harm caused by a global campaign to whitewash the Jewish people's history in the Land of Israel. According to a report recently published by The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), the Palestine Exploration Quarterly (PEQ)—a peer-reviewed journal of the London-based Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)—is refusing to accept submissions from researchers affiliated with institutions operating in what it refers to as "occupied territory," citing concerns over alleged Israeli violations of international law. "Publication in PEQ is guided by the PEF's ethical policy. The main aspect of this is international law, by which many academic institutions and publications, including PEQ, are bound," Charlotte Whiting, the journal's editor-in-chief, told TPS-IL. The journal's website states that it "does not collaborate with institutions founded by an occupying power based in any occupied territory, and will not support, encourage, fund, or publish research by any academic associated with such institutions." Leading Evangelicals In Push To Have President Trump Recognize Israeli Sovereignty Over 'Biblical Heartland' Israeli archaeologists told TPS-IL that any cooperation with Palestinian authorities or colleagues was practically impossible, because they "would be treated as traitors for this." They also said that their work is in many instances shunned by the broader academic world and, as such, researchers are forgoing focus on the biblically significant areas of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to protect their careers. Read On The Fox News App "What we're seeing is a deliberate attempt to undermine Jewish historical ties to the land," Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, the cradle of Jewish civilization located in Judea, told Fox News Digital. "There are three strategies at play: the Palestinians either acknowledge Jews were once here but argue they no longer belong, deny any Jewish connection at all, or destroy the evidence outright." Fleisher noted ongoing efforts by Palestinian authorities and others to rename historical Jewish sites. "They call Hebron 'Al-Khalil,' and the Cave of the Patriarchs becomes the 'Ibrahimi Mosque.' The Temple Mount is now the 'Al-Aqsa complex,' and Rachel's Tomb has been rebranded as the 'Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque,'" he said. To counter this, he says Israeli advocates are working to mark and preserve ancient Jewish landmarks. "We added an Israeli flag and a menorah to a building originally constructed by King Herod 2,000 years ago—which itself stands atop a tomb dating back 3,500 years—to make it unmistakably clear it's a Jewish site, despite the later addition of three minarets by Muslim conquerors." The Palestinian Authority, which gained non-member observer state status at the United Nations in 2012, has been spearheading the campaign to rewrite history in global forums that contain automatic anti-Israel majorities. Among them is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which in 2016 registered the Cave of the Patriarchs—the resting place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah located in Hebron—in the name of the "State of Palestine" on its "List of World Heritage in Danger." More recently, UNESCO, in September 2023, named the Tell es-Sultan site near Jericho, which contains ruins dating back to the ninth millennium BCE, including evidence of one of humanity's first-known villages, as a "World Heritage Site in Palestine." In December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution referring to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site—located in Jerusalem but beyond the 1967 borders—only by its Muslim name, "Haram al-Sharif." In September 2024, P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas called the Temple Mount the "exclusive property of Muslims." Last week, Abbas said in a rare televised speech that the Koran describes the Jewish Temple as being in Yemen. Gop Lawmakers Push Trump To Recognize West Bank As Israeli Territory Naomi Kahn, director of the international division at Regavim, a think tank focused on Israeli sovereignty, said the P.A. is actively building over key archaeological sites as part of this initiative. "In Solomon's Pools, which is under P.A. jurisdiction in accordance with the Oslo Accords, they're constructing condominiums directly on top of ancient Jewish infrastructure," Kahn told Fox News Digital. "These are internationally recognized heritage sites, but the agreements are being violated. She cited the Hasmonean fortresses near Jericho as a major example. "The burial grounds of Hasmonean kings—the largest necropolis in the Middle East from the Second Temple period—have been plowed and used for farming and construction. In one case, we found human bones scattered in the fields. The Israeli Civil Administration had to collect and rebury them." Khan also referenced Sebastia, the Greco-Roman name for the ancient city of Samaria. Originally founded by King Omri in the 9th century BC, Samaria became the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, as noted in the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 16:24). It served as the kingdom's capital until it fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE. Centuries later, Herod the Great rebuilt the city and renamed it Sebaste—Sebastia in later usage—in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus, whose name in Greek, "Sebastos," carried the same imperial meaning. In March of last year, Palestinian construction workers built an illegal road through Sebastia, which is located near the city of Nablus, also known by its biblical name, Shechem. Khan said other sites facing encroachment include Joshua's Altar, where a new Palestinian neighborhood is being developed nearby, and Joseph's Tomb, which is largely inaccessible to Jewish Israelis "I'm disgusted, but not concerned," Sandra Hagee Parker, Chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel Action Fund, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Where are the Romans, Ottomans, and Crusaders? The enemies of Israel are remembered only for their ultimate defeat by the God of Abraham and His children. "Moreover, the grotesque effort to deny the Jewish connection to the Land is a rejection of God Himself," she continued. "It is both antisemitic and anti-Christian—and it will never succeed. My only concern is that America continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and her people," she added. Ze'ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at the Jerusalem-based City of David Foundation, stressed that "from its inception in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization—the forerunner of today's Palestinian Authority—was founded on the denial of thousands of years of Jewish history and heritage rooted in the Land of Israel in general, and in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria—the Biblical heartland—in particular. "This denial," Orenstein told Fox News Digital, "aimed to delegitimize and undermine the Jewish people's legal, moral and historical right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel, portraying a people with some of the deepest archaeological ties to the land as occupiers and colonizers. "For that reason, the Islamic Waqf carried out a campaign of systematic destruction of antiquities atop the Temple Mount in the late 1990s, and Palestinian leadership continues to deny, damage, and destroy Jewish heritage sites throughout Judea and Samaria," he said. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2023 announced a $33 million program to safeguard and rehabilitate archaeological sites in the biblical heartland. "In every corner of Judea and Samaria, one need only to put spade to ground in order to uncover archaeological finds that attest to our deep roots in the Land of Israel," Netanyahu said at the time. "This plan will encourage tourism, education and [present] information for these important sites that tell the story of our people in Judea and Samaria." Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, professor at the Jerusalem University College and director of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel, cited biblical texts and ongoing excavations as proof of longstanding Jewish presence in the region. "There are hundreds of biblical place names showing Jews lived in Judea and Samaria since the time of Abraham," Heldt told Fox News Digital. "The Palestinian Authority has tried to erase this evidence, but it's nearly impossible to eliminate." Heldt pointed to Shiloh as a thriving example, with an active kibbutz and archaeological site where new discoveries are regularly unearthed. "Jewish communities are not only living in their ancestral homeland—they're documenting it. You can see the impact of various layers of occupation over the last hundred years." According to Heldt, whose organization hosts global lectures and educational programs on archaeological findings in Judea and Samaria, more international support is needed to protect these sites. "We must involve the media, universities, artists, filmmakers and writers to tell these stories and make these places matter globally," she said. The struggle to preserve Jewish historical sites in Judea and Samaria is not just about stones or ruins—it's a battle over narrative, legitimacy and identity, according to the experts. "The way to fight this is to build, to educate and to assert our sovereignty," Hebron's Fleisher said. "That's how we strengthen our connection to the land and protect the truth of our history."Original article source: Battle for biblical archaeology intensifies as Israeli researchers face academic boycott
Fox News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Battle for biblical archaeology intensifies as Israeli researchers face academic boycott
TEL AVIV - A leading archaeology journal has effectively barred submissions by Israelis on Judea and Samaria unless they "have cooperated with the relevant Palestinian authorities," in what analysts say is a microcosm of the harm caused by a global campaign to whitewash the Jewish people's history in the Land of Israel. According to a report recently published by The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL), the Palestine Exploration Quarterly (PEQ)—a peer-reviewed journal of the London-based Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)—is refusing to accept submissions from researchers affiliated with institutions operating in what it refers to as "occupied territory," citing concerns over alleged Israeli violations of international law. "Publication in PEQ is guided by the PEF's ethical policy. The main aspect of this is international law, by which many academic institutions and publications, including PEQ, are bound," Charlotte Whiting, the journal's editor-in-chief, told TPS-IL. The journal's website states that it "does not collaborate with institutions founded by an occupying power based in any occupied territory, and will not support, encourage, fund, or publish research by any academic associated with such institutions." Israeli archaeologists told TPS-IL that any cooperation with Palestinian authorities or colleagues was practically impossible, because they "would be treated as traitors for this." They also said that their work is in many instances shunned by the broader academic world and, as such, researchers are forgoing focus on the biblically significant areas of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to protect their careers. "What we're seeing is a deliberate attempt to undermine Jewish historical ties to the land," Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, the cradle of Jewish civilization located in Judea, told Fox News Digital. "There are three strategies at play: the Palestinians either acknowledge Jews were once here but argue they no longer belong, deny any Jewish connection at all, or destroy the evidence outright." Fleisher noted ongoing efforts by Palestinian authorities and others to rename historical Jewish sites. "They call Hebron 'Al-Khalil,' and the Cave of the Patriarchs becomes the 'Ibrahimi Mosque.' The Temple Mount is now the 'Al-Aqsa complex,' and Rachel's Tomb has been rebranded as the 'Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque,'" he said. To counter this, he says Israeli advocates are working to mark and preserve ancient Jewish landmarks. "We added an Israeli flag and a menorah to a building originally constructed by King Herod 2,000 years ago—which itself stands atop a tomb dating back 3,500 years—to make it unmistakably clear it's a Jewish site, despite the later addition of three minarets by Muslim conquerors." The Palestinian Authority, which gained non-member observer state status at the United Nations in 2012, has been spearheading the campaign to rewrite history in global forums that contain automatic anti-Israel majorities. Among them is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which in 2016 registered the Cave of the Patriarchs—the resting place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their wives Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah located in Hebron—in the name of the "State of Palestine" on its "List of World Heritage in Danger." More recently, UNESCO, in September 2023, named the Tell es-Sultan site near Jericho, which contains ruins dating back to the ninth millennium BCE, including evidence of one of humanity's first-known villages, as a "World Heritage Site in Palestine." In December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution referring to the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site—located in Jerusalem but beyond the 1967 borders—only by its Muslim name, "Haram al-Sharif." In September 2024, P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas called the Temple Mount the "exclusive property of Muslims." Last week, Abbas said in a rare televised speech that the Koran describes the Jewish Temple as being in Yemen. Naomi Khan, director of the international division at Regavim, a think tank focused on Israeli sovereignty, said the P.A. is actively building over key archaeological sites as part of this initiative. "In Solomon's Pools, which is under P.A. jurisdiction in accordance with the Oslo Accords, they're constructing condominiums directly on top of ancient Jewish infrastructure," Khan told Fox News Digital. "These are internationally recognized heritage sites, but the agreements are being violated. She cited the Hasmonean fortresses near Jericho as a major example. "The burial grounds of Hasmonean kings—the largest necropolis in the Middle East from the Second Temple period—have been plowed and used for farming and construction. In one case, we found human bones scattered in the fields. The Israeli Civil Administration had to collect and rebury them." Khan also referenced Sebastia, the Greco-Roman name for the ancient city of Samaria. Originally founded by King Omri in the 9th century BC, Samaria became the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, as noted in the Hebrew Bible (1 Kings 16:24). It served as the kingdom's capital until it fell to the Assyrians in 722 BCE. Centuries later, Herod the Great rebuilt the city and renamed it Sebaste—Sebastia in later usage—in honor of the Roman Emperor Augustus, whose name in Greek, "Sebastos," carried the same imperial meaning. In March of last year, Palestinian construction workers built an illegal road through Sebastia, which is located near the city of Nablus, also known by its biblical name, Shechem. Khan said other sites facing encroachment include Joshua's Altar, where a new Palestinian neighborhood is being developed nearby, and Joseph's Tomb, which is largely inaccessible to Jewish Israelis "I'm disgusted, but not concerned," Sandra Hagee Parker, Chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel Action Fund, told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Where are the Romans, Ottomans, and Crusaders? The enemies of Israel are remembered only for their ultimate defeat by the God of Abraham and His children. "Moreover, the grotesque effort to deny the Jewish connection to the Land is a rejection of God Himself," she continued. "It is both antisemitic and anti-Christian—and it will never succeed. My only concern is that America continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and her people," she added. Ze'ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at the Jerusalem-based City of David Foundation, stressed that "from its inception in 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization—the forerunner of today's Palestinian Authority—was founded on the denial of thousands of years of Jewish history and heritage rooted in the Land of Israel in general, and in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria—the Biblical heartland—in particular. "This denial," Orenstein told Fox News Digital, "aimed to delegitimize and undermine the Jewish people's legal, moral and historical right to sovereignty in the Land of Israel, portraying a people with some of the deepest archaeological ties to the land as occupiers and colonizers. "For that reason, the Islamic Waqf carried out a campaign of systematic destruction of antiquities atop the Temple Mount in the late 1990s, and Palestinian leadership continues to deny, damage, and destroy Jewish heritage sites throughout Judea and Samaria," he said. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July 2023 announced a $33 million program to safeguard and rehabilitate archaeological sites in the biblical heartland. "In every corner of Judea and Samaria, one need only to put spade to ground in order to uncover archaeological finds that attest to our deep roots in the Land of Israel," Netanyahu said at the time. "This plan will encourage tourism, education and [present] information for these important sites that tell the story of our people in Judea and Samaria." Rev. Dr. Petra Heldt, professor at the Jerusalem University College and director of the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel, cited biblical texts and ongoing excavations as proof of longstanding Jewish presence in the region. "There are hundreds of biblical place names showing Jews lived in Judea and Samaria since the time of Abraham," Heldt told Fox News Digital. "The Palestinian Authority has tried to erase this evidence, but it's nearly impossible to eliminate." Heldt pointed to Shiloh as a thriving example, with an active kibbutz and archaeological site where new discoveries are regularly unearthed. "Jewish communities are not only living in their ancestral homeland—they're documenting it. You can see the impact of various layers of occupation over the last hundred years." According to Heldt, whose organization hosts global lectures and educational programs on archaeological findings in Judea and Samaria, more international support is needed to protect these sites. "We must involve the media, universities, artists, filmmakers and writers to tell these stories and make these places matter globally," she said. The struggle to preserve Jewish historical sites in Judea and Samaria is not just about stones or ruins—it's a battle over narrative, legitimacy and identity, according to the experts. "The way to fight this is to build, to educate and to assert our sovereignty," Hebron's Fleisher said. "That's how we strengthen our connection to the land and protect the truth of our history."
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UN cash app for Gazans exploited by Hamas as terror group steals aid money meant for civilians
United Nations agencies' monthly cash transfers to Gaza residents are inadvertently strengthening the Hamas terrorist organization, as the group and affiliated traders continue to control the money flow to the enclave, an expert on Hamas' financial and economic operations said. "Hamas exploits its role as the de facto ruler of Gaza to extract financial gains from aid money sent by U.N. organizations to civilians via apps still operating in the region," Eyal Ofer told Fox News Digital. "The aid system is being manipulated by Hamas and affiliated traders. Hamas does this largely behind the scenes, leveraging their control over large merchants, crime families, and using cash to establish a shadow banking system within Gaza." How Israel's War Against Hamas Terrorists Will Be Different Under Trump Each month, international organizations send significant sums into Gaza's economy. The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) transfers approximately $18.43 million, reaching 82,636 families, with each family receiving an average of $209, according to open-source data. UNICEF's monthly assistance averages $5 million, helping to reach at least 20,000 families every month. "I go to the market and meet people whose job is to provide cash in exchange for a fee," Gaza resident Shahab Yousef told Israel's news agency TPS-IL. "The fee is 20–30%. If I transfer 1,000 shekels [$271] I get back 700 [$190]," he said. "For big purchases, I pay digitally. But at the market, I need cash, and I lose 30 percent every time." Read On The Fox News App Another Gaza resident, Nidal Qawasmeh, expressed similar frustration to TPS-IL. "These people are charging 30 percent just to give you cash. I just want to take care of my family, but everything costs me more because of this. Prices are insane." The specific amount received per family every month is around $270 (or 1,000 New Israeli Shekels), which was calculated as 80% of the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket, UNICEF told Fox News Digital. Smaller organizations like UNFPA and others also contribute, bringing the total to about $39.66 million per month, reaching 60% of Gaza's households, according to open-source data. Despite the scale of direct financial aid, which reaches over half of the enclave's population, Gaza's severe food insecurity and high inflation (91% and 118%, respectively, as of January 2024) underscore its importance. However, the way this money circulates within Gaza is far more complex. "Hamas controls much of the cash that enters Gaza through various channels," Ofer told Fox News Digital, "People who receive money via mobile apps must convert it into cash to use in local markets, but this involves hefty fees, with many money changers tied to Hamas or its allies." TPS-IL reported that Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recently warned that Hamas's economic strength in Gaza relies on billions of shekels in cash, paid as salaries and quickly reclaimed through taxes on merchants. In a letter to Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, Sa'ar urged the cancelation of the circulation of 200-shekel bills previously introduced into Gaza, saying that experts believe the move would severely damage Hamas's financial network. The Bank of Israel rejected the proposal, citing technical reasons and claiming that implementation was not feasible. Ofer's research found that the fees can range from 20% to 35%, meaning recipients lose a significant portion of their aid just to access it. "In videos from Gaza, you can see traders refusing to accept app funds and forcing customers to convert them into cash, knowing they will lose at least 20% in the process," he said. Peter Gallo, an international lawyer and former Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigator at the U.N., told Fox News Digital, "If an investigator in Israel can figure it out, the aid agencies either knew or should have known. Twenty to thirty percent is just ridiculous. That's extortion. It's what some have politely described as a 'revolutionary tax.' In fairness, the aid agencies might argue they had no alternative, It is the cost of doing business, but it would have been better if they were honest about it from the start." Hamas Terror Group Reportedly Buckling Under Financial Strain Amid Israeli Military Gains And Growing Unrest A spokesperson for UNICEF told Fox News Digital, "UNICEF is aware of the cash liquidity crisis in Gaza and the continuous shortage of hard cash, which is a direct consequence of the banking system's inability to function amid the ongoing conflict. "Since May 2024, UNICEF has introduced fully digital cash payments via e-wallets, which do not require hard cash at any point. By using e-wallets, recipients of humanitarian digital cash transfers can purchase goods such as food, hygiene items and medicine without ever handling physical money," the spokesperson said. "The use of digital e-wallets can be accessed through an app and works on the most basic smartphones. When implemented, these digital cash payments via e-wallets eliminate the need for cash conversion and, consequently, the payment of any fees. The UNICEF humanitarian digital cash program adheres to the highest standards of neutrality and impartiality. No external party, actor, or agency—not even the beneficiaries themselves—has any role or influence in the design or implementation of the program, including the composition of the beneficiary list, payment schedule, frequency and amounts." The spokesperson claimed: "More than 1.8 million people—close to the entire population of Gaza—are grappling with extreme food insecurity, with at least half of them being children. . . . Acute malnutrition among children is rising at alarming rates. The UNICEF humanitarian cash transfer program is, simply put, keeping children alive in the midst of a war not of their making by providing them with access to essential items for their survival. UNICEF's monthly budget for humanitarian cash transfers in Gaza averages USD 5 million to support approximately 20,000 families. We estimate that these parameters are too small to significantly impact the local economy." The World Food Programme didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. "Turning a blind eye is not acceptable. The U.N. Security Council has been addressing terrorist financing since 2001, yet aid agencies continue to ignore the fact that Hamas is making a profit off this money flow, despite international efforts to stop terrorist financing," Gallo article source: UN cash app for Gazans exploited by Hamas as terror group steals aid money meant for civilians
Fox News
27-04-2025
- Business
- Fox News
UN cash app for Gazans exploited by Hamas as terror group steals aid money meant for civilians
United Nations agencies' monthly cash transfers to Gaza residents are inadvertently strengthening the Hamas terrorist organization, as the group and affiliated traders continue to control the money flow to the enclave, an expert on Hamas' financial and economic operations said. "Hamas exploits its role as the de facto ruler of Gaza to extract financial gains from aid money sent by U.N. organizations to civilians via apps still operating in the region," Eyal Ofer told Fox News Digital. "The aid system is being manipulated by Hamas and affiliated traders. Hamas does this largely behind the scenes, leveraging their control over large merchants, crime families, and using cash to establish a shadow banking system within Gaza." Each month, international organizations send significant sums into Gaza's economy. The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) transfers approximately $18.43 million, reaching 82,636 families, with each family receiving an average of $209, according to open-source data. UNICEF's monthly assistance averages $5 million, helping to reach at least 20,000 families every month. "I go to the market and meet people whose job is to provide cash in exchange for a fee," Gaza resident Shahab Yousef told Israel's news agency TPS-IL. "The fee is 20–30%. If I transfer 1,000 shekels [$271] I get back 700 [$190]," he said. "For big purchases, I pay digitally. But at the market, I need cash, and I lose 30 percent every time." Another Gaza resident, Nidal Qawasmeh, expressed similar frustration to TPS-IL. "These people are charging 30 percent just to give you cash. I just want to take care of my family, but everything costs me more because of this. Prices are insane." The specific amount received per family every month is around $270 (or 1,000 New Israeli Shekels), which was calculated as 80% of the Survival Minimum Expenditure Basket, UNICEF told Fox News Digital. Smaller organizations like UNFPA and others also contribute, bringing the total to about $39.66 million per month, reaching 60% of Gaza's households, according to open-data sources. Despite the scale of direct financial aid, which reaches over half of the enclave's population, Gaza's severe food insecurity and high inflation (91% and 118%, respectively, as of January 2024) underscore its importance. However, the way this money circulates within Gaza is far more complex. "Hamas controls much of the cash that enters Gaza through various channels," Ofer told Fox News Digital, "People who receive money via mobile apps must convert it into cash to use in local markets, but this involves hefty fees, with many money changers tied to Hamas or its allies." TPS-IL reported that Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar recently warned that Hamas's economic strength in Gaza relies on billions of shekels in cash, paid as salaries and quickly reclaimed through taxes on merchants. In a letter to Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron, Sa'ar urged the cancelation of the circulation of 200-shekel bills previously introduced into Gaza, saying that experts believe the move would severely damage Hamas's financial network. The Bank of Israel rejected the proposal, citing technical reasons and claiming that implementation was not feasible. Ofer's research found that the fees can range from 20% to 35%, meaning recipients lose a significant portion of their aid just to access it. "In videos from Gaza, you can see traders refusing to accept app funds and forcing customers to convert them into cash, knowing they will lose at least 20% in the process," he said. Peter Gallo, an international lawyer and former Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigator at the U.N., told Fox News Digital, "If an investigator in Israel can figure it out, the aid agencies either knew or should have known. Twenty to thirty percent is just ridiculous. That's extortion. It's what some have politely described as a 'revolutionary tax.' In fairness, the aid agencies might argue they had no alternative, It is the cost of doing business, but it would have been better if they were honest about it from the start." A spokesperson for UNICEF told Fox News Digital, "UNICEF is aware of the cash liquidity crisis in Gaza and the continuous shortage of hard cash, which is a direct consequence of the banking system's inability to function amid the ongoing conflict. "Since May 2024, UNICEF has introduced fully digital cash payments via e-wallets, which do not require hard cash at any point. By using e-wallets, recipients of humanitarian digital cash transfers can purchase goods such as food, hygiene items and medicine without ever handling physical money," the spokesperson said. "The use of digital e-wallets can be accessed through an app and works on the most basic smartphones. When implemented, these digital cash payments via e-wallets eliminate the need for cash conversion and, consequently, the payment of any fees. The UNICEF humanitarian digital cash program adheres to the highest standards of neutrality and impartiality. No external party, actor, or agency—not even the beneficiaries themselves—has any role or influence in the design or implementation of the program, including the composition of the beneficiary list, payment schedule, frequency and amounts." The spokesperson claimed: "More than 1.8 million people—close to the entire population of Gaza—are grappling with extreme food insecurity, with at least half of them being children. . . . Acute malnutrition among children is rising at alarming rates. The UNICEF humanitarian cash transfer program is, simply put, keeping children alive in the midst of a war not of their making by providing them with access to essential items for their survival. UNICEF's monthly budget for humanitarian cash transfers in Gaza averages USD 5 million to support approximately 20,000 families. We estimate that these parameters are too small to significantly impact the local economy." The World Food Programme didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. "Turning a blind eye is not acceptable. The U.N. Security Council has been addressing terrorist financing since 2001, yet aid agencies continue to ignore the fact that Hamas is making a profit off this money flow, despite international efforts to stop terrorist financing," Gallo said.
