Junts Now Following Sílvia Orriols: Now They Also Attack UNRWA

The deputy and leader of Aliança Catalana, Sílvia Orriols, requested in October the suspension of the government's aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The silence from the rest of the parties was sepulchral. So was it from Junts, which, however, now shares the suspicion surrounding this organization.

It was in the Foreign Action Committee in Parliament, this Thursday. Vox presented a resolution proposal on the suppression of any aid or subsidy to the UNRWA. In his speech, Francesc de Dalmases harshly criticized this UN organization under suspicion.

The issue is that Vox has been denouncing the lack of transparency of this organization for some time, accused of links with Islamist terrorism. However, Junts said nothing until Aliança Catalana brought the issue into focus. This reinforces the feeling that Orriols is setting the agenda and that Junts is trailing behind.

Against UNRWA and Populism

Vox presented this resolution proposal as "an opportunity to demand responsibility" from the Generalitat government. Deputy Alberto Tarradas stated that the UNRWA "has failed" in its humanitarian mission, and "has become a tentacle of Hamas." He warned that, while other governments have cut aid to the organization, the Generalitat has been increasing contributions since 2017.

"While in Catalonia there is a shortage of doctors, healthcare waiting lists are skyrocketing, families can't make ends meet, and there are thousands of children who depend on school meal grants, the Govern decides that their priority is to continue sending money to the UNRWA, and therefore to Hamas," said the Vox deputy.

Junts was Very Critical of the Organization

Junts voted against this motion "because it is anti-democratic and because Vox is bothered by global governance." But deputy Francesc de Dalmases used his speech to show a critical tone toward the UNRWA.

Dalmases called for being "extremely critical" of the "lack of transparency" of organizations like this one. "That Hamas infiltrated the UNRWA is a fact, and when there is a scandal of this magnitude, we must be critical," he said bluntly.

He also recalled that "reference countries" like Germany, Sweden, Norway, Japan, France, Switzerland, or Finland suspended aid to the UNRWA. "Also the Biden administration," he added, "not Trump's, but Biden's."

Dalmases criticized those parties that say the UNRWA can't be criticized because in this way "they are opening the door to populism." "We will not play the game of those who want to destroy these global governance organizations. But neither will we play the game of those who, excusing themselves in this global threat, uncritically bless everything that falls outside their perimeter," he finally argued.

ERC Threatens to Take It to the Prosecutor's Office

ERC deputy Rubén Wagensberg said that "we have not come here to discuss fake news and therefore we have nothing to comment on." But he did threaten to take Vox to court for accusing the Generalitat of financing a terrorist organization. The Comuns also voted against a proposal "contrary to essential rights and international law."

The PSC asked the chamber's legal services "to analyze these accusations of financing terrorist organizations by the Generalitat." The PP voted in favor of the motion to "prevent even one euro from Catalans from going to this organization until the investigations are clarified."