In the New York Sun Meghan Clyne reports on the ripples generated by the United Nations’ support of anti-Israel propaganda distributed in the Gaza Strip: “UN’s anti-Israel propaganda prompts Congress to act.” Despite the headline, Clyne’s report is filled more with the huffing and puffing of politicians than with action. Clyne reports on a letter “with a series of tough questions prsented to the UNDP by the Senate Appropriations Committee”:
The Senate committee is… pressing the UNDP to answer if Mr. Rothermel – who said last week that the message contained in the materials is “consistent with the relevant U.N. resolutions and Security Council resolutions about the status of Palestine” – speaks for the United Nations on whether the slogan “Today Gaza and Tomorrow the West Bank and Jerusalem” reflects the world body’s policy on Israel.
The Appropriations Committee is also questioning the UNDP about its connection to the Program of Assistance to the Palestinian People, which funneled the U.N. monies to the Palestinian Authority for the purpose of creating the materials. Last week, a spokesman for the UNDP, William Orme, said officials of the world body had been unaware of the propaganda campaign. The Appropriations Committee, the individual said, is also pressuring the UNDP for answers as to why it did not know the funds were going to be used for the materials.
Calls and e-mail messages to UNDP officials yesterday requesting comment went unreturned.
Frank Gaffney has a column on a related note in the Washington Times: “UN ‘AmBush.'” See also Mark Steyn’s “Why Gaza? Why now?”
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