S2 E59. The Farce of UNRWA vs The Brilliance of Hillel Neuer

In the podcast introduction, I mistakenly refer to Mr. Neuer’s testimony before a Congressional Committee as having taken place on January 24, 2024. The correct date is January 30, 2024

Hillel Neuer may well be a familiar name to State of Tel Aviv listeners. As Executive Director of UN Watch for twenty plus years, Neuer has been an unwavering force holding the United Nations human rights organizations accountable. Accountable for their constant haranguing of Israel – which the UN holds to a different and impossible standard – and the pandering of UN bodies to countries and terror organizations which egregiously violate human rights. I had an in depth conversation with Hillel earlier this summer about how UN Watch exposed the head of the UNRWA teacher’s union for openly supporting Hamas. And how the head of UNRWA – Philippe Lazzarini – just bowed to the will and ways of these bad actors. It is a fascinating look into the important work undertaken by Neuer which, for the most part, is a lot of old school research, slogging and thinking. A masterful – and theatrical orator – Neuer is at his best when lashing UNRWA and others before various officials around the world. We start off today’s podcast with some of the comments he made today to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, before looking back at some of his extraordinary accomplishments since October 7. And he is just revving up.

Hillel Neuer, Executive Director, UN Watch

Podcast notes:

1. Transcript of written remarks delivered by UN Watch Executive Director, Hillel Neuer, before the UN Human Rights Council’s 57^th session on September 26, 2024 may be read here.

2. Video of Hillel Neuer addressing the United States Congress House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Joint Hearing of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability and the Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, January 30, 2024. The video can be viewed here. In the accompanying transcript of Mr. Neuer’s remarks there are multiple hyperlinks to the detailed material UN Watch has gathered to support these claims of URWA collusion with Hamas on October 7, before and since.

3. News clip from ILTV reporting on the “kidnap” of the body of Yonatan Samerano by UNRWA workers and throwing his body  onto an UNRWA truck on October 7, 2023. ILTV news story is from February 22, 2024 and can be viewed here.

4. The link to the UN Watch website can be accessed here. We encourage you to peruse the site, which is a trove of information regarding all manner of human rights issues.