2024-09-04 00:17:34
The Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has said that the Israeli government is buying advertising space on Google to persuade donors to stop supporting UNRWA.
He said Israel’s “smear campaign” not only undermined the agency’s reputation but also posed a threat to its employees. Lazzarini called for stronger regulation of online advertising.
“The deliberate spread of disinformation must be stopped and investigated. Disinformation continues to be a weapon of war in Gaza,” he said.
Recall that the Knesset approved in the first reading a bill declaring UNRWA a terrorist organization. The agency’s employees were accused of participating in militant attacks on Israel on October 7, 2024, as well as guarding kidnapped hostages.
The US-Israel government previously funded a Google ad campaign aimed at spreading accusations against UNRWA, alleging its links to Hamas terrorist activities.
According to the newspaper, Israel bought ad space for UNRWA-related search queries, such as “UNRWA” and “UNRWA USA.” The ads redirected users to pages detailing accusations against the agency. Israel has long accused UNRWA of anti-Semitism and supporting terrorism, particularly through its education system. Hamas weapons and infrastructure were found at UNRWA sites during the recent military campaign in Gaza.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Tuma told WIRED that the advert was damaging the agency’s reputation and undermining its work. Tuma called for the campaign to be stopped and for those behind it to be held accountable.
Earlier, Cursor reported that the US Ambassador to the UN is demanding that Israel protect the organization’s personnel in Gaza.