‏ 15 July 2014

 

Mr. Krähenbühl,

 

I am writing to draw your attention to an alarming incident that occurred yesterday.  UNRWA Spokesman, Christopher Gunness, yet again abused his position by calling on reporters to interview Dr. Mads Gilbert, an outspoken proponent of terrorist attacks against civilians. In September 2001, Dr. Gilbert explicitly supported the “moral right” of Al-Qaeda to perpetrate the 9/11 terrorist attacks against thousands of American civilians.

 

 

Rather than denouncing Hamas’s targeting of innocent civilians, Mr. Gunness is shamelessly promoting an individual who shares Hamas’s morally reprehensible convictions. Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, deliberately embeds its military operations in residential areas and exploits its own civilian population as human shields. These actions constitute war crimes and should be condemned in no uncertain terms. In failing to do so, Mr. Gunness is ignoring Hamas's abuse of the civilian population in Gaza and acting in opposition to UNRWA's mandate.

 

Mr. Gunness has demonstrated an ongoing pattern of anti-Israel bias. He has abused his position to promote incitement against Israel and present a one-sided view of reality. Yesterday, after Hamas fired a rocket at the electrical plant in Ashkelon and disrupted power to 70,000 Gazans, Mr. Gunness tweeted that the lights had gone out, conveniently omitting Hamas's responsibility.

 

Israel supports UNRWA’s important humanitarian work; however, actions that encourage incitement undermine this work. UNRWA staff members have repeatedly failed to abide by the UN’s principles of neutrality and impartiality. 

 

I ask that you immediately suspend Mr. Gunness while you investigate the matter. The integrity and impartiality of the UN demands that this matter be addressed expediently.