JNS: - Israel Allies Foundation

The head of the U.S.-backed organization distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday urged Japanese parliamentarians to partner with the United States since the main U.N. Palestinian aid agency, now shunned by both the Israeli and American governments, has been tainted by terror ties.

The remarks come four months after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began working in the coastal enclave to distribute food to Palestinians over the vehement opposition of Hamas which, American and Israeli officials said, have long manipulated the aid system to maintain their hold on power.

“I encourage Japan to partner with the U.S. in this incredible initiative,” GHF Executive Chairman Johnnie Moore told the lawmakers from the Japanese Israel Allies Caucus. “The GHF is working and it would work so much better if countries like our countries would work together to feed more people.”

The humanitarian organization has distributed more than 160 million meals since it began operating in May. It runs four distribution sites in the coastal enclave, with plans to expand, and has reached up to one million Gazans, about half of the total population.

Moore, an evangelical Christian, blasted “a nation-state level campaign of disinformation and lies” against the organization. He cited international media reports that GHF aid sites were effective death traps, which he said had affected public opinion and were aimed at shutting the organization down.

“Hamas, which was able to manipulate the entire aid system in Gaza, used disinformation to discredit GHF since it poses a threat to the power of Hamas,” he said. “This is a systematic issue that has to be resolved in the long term.”

He told the lawmakers that the aid organization, which is operating in a war zone, was not intended to replace the more than 400 U.N. distribution sites that were active in Gaza before the war. The work was “too big for one organization,” he said, but Japanese cooperation with UNRWA was no longer relevant.

“If you care about the people of Gaza and you are betting on UNRWA solving the problem, it’s just not going to happen under these circumstances,” said Moore.

An Israeli intelligence report released last year showed that at least a dozen UNRWA employees actively participated in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, and that the agency has hundreds of “military operatives” belonging to Hamas and other terrorist groups on its payroll.

The revelations prompted 17 countries—led by the United States and Germany, UNRWA’s biggest donors— to suspend funding. With the exception of the United States, all have since resumed funding due to concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Japan has a long history of financial contributions to UNRWA, dating back seven decades, and has contributed tens of millions of dollars in annual support for the organization.

The video address came during a parliamentary gathering at the House of Councilors Members’ Office in Tokyo attended by both the American and Israeli ambassadors to Japan, as well as faith leaders. It comes at a time when public opinion about Israel has been negatively shaped by the fallout from the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, specifically the reports of Palestinian civilians being killed in the crossfire this summer when going to get food.

At the same time, Japan has held back on recognizing a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this month, despite similar moves by various European countries, led by France, over Israeli and American opposition.

“Our work will strengthen bilateral relations, support Israel on the international stage, and stand united against antisemitism and delegitimization,” said Michihito Kaneko, member of the House of Councilors and Chair of the Japanese Israel Allies Caucus.

The group is part of a network of more than 60 parliamentary caucuses around the globe based on faith-based diplomacy.

“At a time when misinformation and hostility are on the rise, it is deeply significant that Japan’s leaders are choosing to strengthen their partnership with Israel and affirm the values that bind our nations together”, said Josh Reinstein, president of the Israel Allies Foundation, who spoke at the gathering.

Read the original article here.