A UNRWA worker in a telephone conversation in which he talks about his participation in the 7/10/Maariv massacre
The representative of the Ministry of Justice in the Social Work Committee clarified that it will not be possible to file claims for compensation against UNRA as it is a UN institution that is granted immunity.
The words were said as part of the Labor and Welfare Committee's discussion of a bill that would allow victims of hostilities to receive damages from those who bear responsibility for acts of terrorism.
The committee, chaired by MK Israel Eichler, began preparing for the second and third readings of a bill designed to allow victims of hostilities to sue and receive damages from those who bear responsibility for acts of terrorism at the same time as receiving rewards from the state.
Today, according to the Law on Rewards for Victims of Hostilities, -1970, it is not possible to receive compensation for damages both from the law and compensation for damages according to another law.
As a result, the victims of the hostilities are forced to return to the National Insurance the full compensation they received from it in order to claim damages from those who are found to be responsible for the act of terrorism, such as the Palestinian Authority.
According to the bills of Knesset members Sharan Hashakal, Sharon Nir, Simcha Vartman and other MLAs who merged, it will be possible to receive compensation from the harming party in the amount of 25% of the damage awarded to the victim at the same time as receiving the rewards from the state.
UNRA employees who participated in the 7/10 massacre. "UNRA personnel have immunity that can be removed, but UNRA as an institution is completely immune from prosecution"/Official website, Communications of the Minister of Defense
The representative of the Ministry of Justice at the hearing, Dr. Tamar Kalhora, explained that "the law never prevented the right to sue, but rather the right to receive both the rewards from the National Insurance and damage compensation from the tortfeasor.
Today there are already many dozens of lawsuits and hundreds of victims from previous waves of attacks.
On October 7, a huge number of dead and injured were added to this, so there will be a very large potential for filing lawsuits for the proposed amendment, which will be spread over several years.
The defendant in the tort claim can be anyone involved in the execution, financing, or assistance of the terrorist act, therefore the potential of the defendants is also great and not necessarily only the Palestinian Authority, therefore it is difficult to know how and in what manner it will be realized."
To the question of MK Sharan Haschel, whether it will be possible to sue the UNRWA, as responsible for the October 7 incident, Dr. Kalhora replied: "As of today, UNRWA people have immunity that can be removed, but UNRWA as an institution, like all UN institutions, is completely immune from prosecution." In response to the
words, he said Chairman of the committee MK Eichler: "When they established the UN, the goal was to protect people and in the end he himself is immune from lawsuits for crimes he commits. Absurd."
Referring to the bill, MK Sharon Nir said: "The bill tries to correct a historical injustice for the victims of hostilities and their families and makes it possible to recover the damage from the terrorists.
This is good news for the families who have been dealing with this situation for many years and also for the families of the victims of October 7th.
We are now asking that the compensation be at the level of 50% of the damage and that there be the possibility of retroactive application to cases that are pending and of course to new cases that will be opened."
More on the same topic:
UNRA
Compensation
The Labor and Welfare Committee
War of Iron Swords
Gaza war
Department of Justice
The United Nations