Israel’s relationship with the United Nations has historically been strained, but over the past year, tensions have reached new levels. On October 28, the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) passed a law to prohibit operations of the UN’s relief and works agency (Unrwa) – the UN body responsible for Palestinian refugees – within the territory it controls.

The Israeli Knesset’s recent decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) from Israeli territory has been met with fierce backlash from Israel’s critics, with the United Nations suggesting the decision sets a “dangerous precedent.

Israel has long sought to discredit the U.N. agency, viewing its existence and operations as supporting Palestinians’ position on the right of return.