Open Letter to Secretary of State Mr. Pompeo: Lift Veil of Secrecy from GAO Report on PA School Books Used in UNRWA.

US Secretary of State

The Hon. Mike Pompeo

Now visiting Jerusalem.

Dear Mr. Pompeo,

As a US citizen who lives and works in Israel as an analyst and researcher of some of the most sensitive areas of US and Israeli foreign policies, I welcome you to Jerusalem and wish you well in your new position as the US Secretary of State.

A focus of our research for 30 years has been UNRWA reform, with a focus on UNRWA schools, which have been a prime recipient of US foreign aid for many generations.

http://israelbehindthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Scope-of-Our-Work-UNRWA-Reform-Intiative-2003-2018.pdf

Over the past two years, the Center for Near East Policy Research translated all Palestinian Authority School books used in UNRWA schools, with the assistance of two PhD’s and the partial sponsorship of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

This study can be viewed in two parts at;

1.http://israelbehindthenews.com/full-study-school-books-now-used-unrwa-palestinian-authority/16438/

2.http://israelbehindthenews.com/israel-jews-peace-new-pa-textbooks-used-unrwa-schools-today-final-study/16903/

We have shared the results of this study with the White House, The US Congress, the US Embassy, and the US State Department, which prompted US Senator James Risch (R-Idaho) , chairman of the US Senate Near East Subcommittee, to authorize the conduct of a GAO investigation of the UNRWA educational system.

The monumental GAO study of the UNRWA school system will be completed this week.

However, GAO spokesperson, Mr. Chuck Young, announced on April 13 that “…the State Department indicated the report will need to be classified and cannot be released publicly”

The question remains; Why does the State Department not want to disclose what half a million students study in the UNRWA schools that have received substantive funds from the US for 68 years?

As of now, the US donates 30% of the $1.2 billion UNRWA budget. 54% of that UNRWA budget is allocated to UNRWA education

Perhaps, Mr, Pompeo., one of your first acts as US secretary of state will be to ask for full disclosure and lift the veil of secrecy from the GAO report on the PA school books which are now used by UNRWA.

Once again, with best wishes to your new challenge ahead.

David Bedein

Director

Israel Resource News Agency

Center for Near East Policy Research

Beit Agron

37 Hillel Street, Suite 105-106

Jerusalem 94581 Israel