JERUSALEM, Israel – Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Jesus, could possibly be where the next war breaks out.
A new film called "UNRWA at War" indicates Hamas would be involved, with the United Nations even playing a role.
When Israel entered Gaza after October 7th, soldiers found evidence that Hamas had used the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities for training and weapons storage and that a number of UN workers were also active Hamas members.
In the film, produced by the Nahum Bedein Center for Near East Policy Research and Israel Behind the News, Hamas Minister of Religion Ismail Radwan discusses the terror group's connections to the U.N. agency.
“Hamas' relationship with UNRWA is good, very good! We assist UNRWA and Hamas cooperates with UNRWA on many levels,” Radwan said.
For years, CBN News has reported how Hamas uses U.N. schools and summer camps in Gaza to indoctrinate thousands of children. They are taught to hate and even kill Jews while learning that Israel is an illegitimate state that should be destroyed.
"UNRWA at War" features Senior Hamas Leader Khalil al-Hayya shouting from a podium, “You are the generation that is being trained to fight – although you are young, you are being trained for holy war (jihad)!"
The film shows how this education of hate is being spread to young students in biblical Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank
Journalist and author David Bedein, who directs the Center for Near East Policy Research, told CBN News, “The new movie ‘UNWRA at War" will show how UNRWA instigated the war, from day one. We show how UNRWA is preparing a new war in the area of Bethlehem – in the four UNWRA refugee camps in Bethlehem.”
And what would a war coming from Bethlehem look like?
“It would spill out into Beit Shemesh (west of Jerusalem) into Efrat (south of Jerusalem), into Jerusalem and, with similar atrocities (as October 7th near Gaza). Because from their point of view, the end justifies the means. And they've been educated for this since August 1st, 2000, in the new school system, to believe that they have a right to take back any land lost in ‘48. By force of arms,” Bedein explained.
Bethlehem is only about five miles from Jerusalem. Bedein's crew interviewed children and teenagers in four nearby UNRWA refugee camps. They asked one boy, Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil, “Can Jerusalem be divided between Palestinians and Jews?”
“No! We won't agree to it," Mahmoud answered. "It's impossible. Jerusalem is ours and we won't give up Jerusalem! We will give our souls for Al-Aqsa (mosque) if Jews will take it! (Israel) will not withdraw from our land. We have to fight for it."
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He continued, “We have to fight in order to free Palestine and with Allah's help we will have our land. What is the solution to Jerusalem? To kill the Jews! We'll get rid of the Jews,” he added and then sang, “My only desire is to become a martyr.”
Another boy, Bara Hasuna, says in the film, “There will never be peace between the Palestinian and the Zionist state. I desire a martyr's death so I can become a role model for the next generation who seek to give their soul to Palestine.”
Bedein insists the whole point of choosing Bethlehem is the strong biblical connection.
“Bethlehem is recognized around the world,” Bedein said. “But when we conducted one of our short films (it) shows the children there all think they should live in Malka, which is now a thriving neighborhood in Jerusalem."
“And they think they're going back there, and they think they're going to take the people's homes and kill everybody there," Bedein said. "Again, the difference between this and a regular terrorist organization is that this is not encouraging hatred. This is encouraging murder."
Bedein says it can only be stopped by strong law enforcement and a change in policies.
“You have a law enforcement system, and anyone who's involved with terror gets arrested and stopped,” Bedein noted. “It's not rocket science. This can happen. But if there's a will, there's a way and trying to (find) easy solutions.”
Bedein says there are at least 12 “prominent personalities” around the world that say "Just get rid of UNRWA," but that’s not likely to happen.
Instead, he says, “You can introduce policy initiatives that will change the situation.” He says it’s important to introduce policies that will change policies if they want the situation to improve.
UNRWA is funded by UN member States including the European Union and the U.S. According to UNRWA, the U.S. has historically been the largest funder of the organization, contributing $7.3 billion since 1950. In 2023, U.S. funding accounted for some 30% of donor contributions.
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