It is very rare that justice gets done when it comes to systemic bias against Israel in international institutions. So, hats off to UN Watch, the indefatigable monitoring group led by Hillel Neuer, for taking down the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) over hardline anti-Israel and antisemitic activists within its ranks.
Earlier in October, UN Watch produced a report documenting cases in which Palestinian UN staff - posing openly as UN employees - had been using social media networks such as Facebook to incite and encourage attacks against Israeli civilians.
The report was submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, as well as the head of UNRWA , Pierre Krähenbühl.
UN Watch said: "At least 10 different UN staffers are using the imprimatur of their official positions to incite Palestinian stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli Jews, with one calling on Facebook to 'stab Zionist dogs'."
Mr Neuer was quoted by his organisation as saying: "The UN and top funders of UNRWA such as the US government must act immediately to fire employees who are inciting murderous antisemitism and fuelling the deadly pandemic of Palestinian attacks…"
Surprisingly, UNRWA has taken action, suspending and disciplining at least some employees and contractors who have been found guilty of such blatant acts of incitement.
The reason why the agency reacted in that way is likely to be connected to fears among Western governments - whose taxpayers provide the bulk of UN funding - that amid turmoil across the Middle East, the last thing they need is for the UN to push the Israel-Palestine conflict over the brink.
UNRWA has a terrible record of abusing its power and effectively prolonging the conflict, with spokesman Chris Gunness appearing to play the role of anti-Israeli activist rather than neutral employee of an international organisation.
As Mr Neuer put it in remarks accompanying the report: "UNRWA's strategy of impunity, denial and deflection only enables more incitement and violence. It's time to put an end to the pattern and practice of UNRWA school principals, teachers and staff members posting antisemitic and terror-inciting images. This pathology of racism and violence within UNRWA must be rooted out and not buried, as UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness has attempted to do by calling for boycotts of newspapers or NGOs that dare to report these incidents of hate."
UN Watch has welcomed the moves by UNRWA to discipline staff, but remains concerned that it has been grudging and slow. Mr Gunness, they say, must apologise for continually slating the organisation for "baseless" accusations.
They should not hold their breath. Still, it is gratifying to see that the battle against bigotry in the UN can sometimes yield results.
