Mr. John Whyte:

I thank the Senator for the question. He correctly mentioned that different countries have different viewpoints and approaches to UNRWA, as well as to the Israel-Palestine conflict. In our advocacy, we experience a range of responses. I do not want to mention the names of particular member states. I have mostly mentioned Ireland because it is important to acknowledge the support that this State has provided to the Palestinians over years and not just recently. We have a number of very key donors. Germany, for example, is a key donor and yet it is fair to say that Germany is quite divided, or perhaps not divided enough, on the issue. It is partisan on one side, I think it is fair to say. At the same time, it is, or has been, a big supporter of UNRWA. Trying to sustain that support is important. I did a mission to Berlin a couple of months ago. The people we met from the Germany federal foreign office were very supportive. Perhaps they were taking a long view of the relationship between Germany and UNRWA. Political parties come and go and change, and, of course, attitudes change accordingly. Some of the political parties there may be strongly aligned with the Israeli point of view so it is not an easy sell for us to advocate for the continuation of, or an increase in, the funding.

We are trying to engage more with other member states, such as the Gulf countries, because we wish they would do more for the Palestinians. It is not always easy because, of course, the Middle East is a very complex geopolitical environment.