The U.N. Relief and Works Agency didn’t realize earlier that the principal of one of its schools, who was also head of a teacher’s union, doubled as a Hamas terror commander in Lebanon, because the United Nations agency “doesn’t have an intelligence or police unit to investigate every staff member,” Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told JNS on Monday.
Shortly after Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on Sunday, Hamas identified him as its commander in Lebanon and paid tribute to him.
“Fateh Sherif was indeed an UNRWA employee. As soon as UNRWA received information about his possible involvement with Hamas at a senior level, he was immediately put on administrative leave without pay. This was back in March,” Dujarric said in response to a question from JNS at a press briefing. “Contrary to what information may be floating in social media or other places, he was never ever reinstated.”
In March, U.N. Watch notified the global body of the terror ties of Sherif, the principal of the UNRWA-run Deir Yassin Secondary School in al-Bass and head of the UNRWA teacher’s union, which oversees 39,000 students in 65 schools.
His suspension drew widespread protests and strikes from Lebanese teachers, and reports indicated that Sherif’s suspension had been lifted as a result, although Dujarric denied that charge.
Dujarric said that UNRWA has “taken on board” a number of recommendations made in an independent report early this year, compiled to address issues in its neutrality and vetting processes.
Many critics saw that reporting effort, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, as an attempt to absolve UNRWA of accountability for long-standing problems, with only cosmetic recommended changes.
Dujarric said that UNRWA, which “like most employers, doesn’t have an intelligence or police unit to investigate every staff member,” has acted swiftly when it has been aware of a problem.
“Every time UNRWA has received information beyond just a name, action has been taken, and we’ll continue to do so,” he said. “Anyone who works for the U.N. and engages in terror-like activity is unacceptable and outrageous and an insult to all U.N. staff members around the world.”
He added that vetting can be difficult, because “most people who are engaged in underground organizations try not to have their involvement known publicly.”
U.N. Watch presented the United Nations with extensive documentation of Sherif’s attendance of Hamas events, rallies and funerals. He was also photographed often with Hamas leaders, and top leaders of the terror organization attended the wedding of Sherif’s son.
Sharif also had long promoted terrorism on his Facebook account, including praising Hamas leadership.
Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch, wrote after Sherif’s death and identification that “the U.N. cannot say that they didn’t know.”
U.N. Watch notified Guterres and Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of UNRWA, “again and again” to fire Sherif, Neuer wrote. “We gave them a huge dossier with the evidence.”
“Everyone at UNRWA knew,” he added. “Yet they refused to act.”
