[Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News] Chris Gunness' lies on Voice of Israel (part 3)

(Part 1, part 2)

Continuing on the phenomenally dishonest performance of UNRWA's Chris Gunness when interviewed by Melanie Phillips on Voice of Israel, Melanie asked Gunness about the UNRWA workers' union being controlled by Hamas as proof that Hamas is exerting influence in UNRWA schools.

Gunness disputed the idea that most UNRWA workers are Islamists, and his response (which was quite condescending towards Phillips) is pretty much that the claim that Hamas dominated the last union elections in 2012 is a myth created by anti-UNRWA people. He claimed, without providing proof, that whenever there are allegations of UNRWA employees violating UNRWA's neutrality policy, "they are always investigated and disciplinary action is taken up to and including dismissal."

In regards to the union elections, Gunness asserted, "I hear this bandied around, and let me tell you, I have seen the ballot papers for staff union elections, and there is nothing whatsoever on that that has any indication of party affiliation...We police the union process and there is nothing on the ballot paper that gives any indication of political affiliation."

Let me quote from the pro-Hamas al-Resala newspaper right before the September 2012 UNRWA union elections: "It is noteworthy that Hamas has controlled the UNRWA staff union in the elections since its inception, particularly the teachers sector in [the union], but the electoral system cannot list it to prevent [official] partisan affiliations of UNRWA employees."

Al Quds, a Fatah-leaning paper, wrote after the elections "According to multiple sources within the Election Commission..., that the "Professional" slate of Hamas won 25 seats out of 27, divided by 11 seats out of 11 in the teachers' sector and 6 out of 7 in the labor sector elections, and 8 seats out of 9 in the services sector election."

Everyone knows quite well that the "Professional" slate of candidates is Hamas, period. Hamas calls itself "Professional" in order to skirt the letter of the law where UNRWA does not allow "partisan" parties. It is a sham that every Palestinian, and every UNRWA employee, and UNRWA itself - including Chris Gunness - knows quite well and accepts.

Chris Gunness is invoking this legal fiction to argue that Hamas really doesn't dominate the union!

Is there any more evidence necessary of how little Gunness cares about the truth, and how much he tries to twist the facts in his interviews, by assuming that no one will check him on it?

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Posted By Elder of Ziyon to Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News at 12/08/2014 02:00:00 PM