Why Are the European Union and the World Bank Paying Palestinian Terrorists?

by Robert Williams
August 8, 2024 at 5:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20847/eu-world-bank-paying-terrorists

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Back in March, the Biden administration claimed that it was persuading the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Mahmoud Abbas, to change its murder-for-hire "pay for slay" policy. Terrorists who have been imprisoned in Israel for their crimes, as well as families of deceased or wounded terrorists, receive monthly stipends as a reward for murdering Jews. The longer the prison sentence, the higher the monthly stipend. Talk about incentivizing and encouraging terrorism.
Not only has the PA not begun to change the "pay for slay" system, it is adding tens of thousands of terrorist prisoners and "martyrs" to be funded by the scheme.
The PA is, as always, undergoing a major financial crisis, in part because it has failed to promote a productive economy – a failure made possible by unconditional handouts from the international community.
Fortunately for Abbas and his terrorists, both the Biden administration, the World Bank and the EU stand ready with taxpayer financing to ensure that the terrorists are not about to run out of murder-for-hire payments anytime soon.
The World Bank, in fact, decided that the PA should get more money. In July, it announced that its usual annual grant to the terrorist entity of $70 million would be raised in to a whopping $300 million, no questions asked. The World Bank thereby knowingly and willingly made itself an active accomplice to terrorism. Even the PA leadership itself seemed surprised at the sum.
"The money will be disbursed in the form of grants and loans in three payments between July and September, subject to progress in the implementation of the reform agenda of the Palestinian Authority," the European Commission said in a statement.
What reform agenda?
On May 31, the EU Commission bragged: "The European Union is the biggest provider of external assistance to the Palestinians which amounts to indicatively almost €1.2 billion [$1.3 billion] for 2021-2024 under the European Joint Strategy, of which €809.4 million have already been adopted."
[W]hy is not one European leader questioning the use of EU taxpayer money for propping up a terrorist regime and its terrorists? Why is the EU knowingly enabling terrorism?

Not only has the PA *not* begun to change the "pay for slay" system, it is *adding* tens of thousands of terrorist prisoners and "martyrs" to be funded by the scheme. On July 23, 2018, at a ceremony honoring Palestinian terrorists, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said: "We will neither reduce nor withhold the allowances of the families of martyrs, prisoners, and released prisoners... if we had one single penny left, we would spend it on the families of the martyrs and the prisoners." (Image source: MEMRI)

Back in March, the Biden administration claimed that it was persuading the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Mahmoud Abbas, to change its murder-for-hire "pay for slay" policy. Terrorists who have been imprisoned in Israel for their crimes, as well as families of deceased or wounded terrorists, receive monthly stipends as a reward for murdering Jews. The longer the prison sentence, the higher the monthly stipend. Talk about incentivizing and encouraging terrorism.

"There's been a great deal of work on this behind the scenes, and the progress is encouraging," an unnamed senior Biden administration official told Politico in March, while another said that "changes to the system were expected soon."

The Biden administration has its own reasons for giving the false impression that the PA is reforming itself. The administration plans to reward Iran and the Palestinians for their October 7 massacre and the nearly 20,000 rockets fired into Israeli towns and cities by forcing a two-state solution on Israel. Such a Palestinian state, according to the Biden administration, will be run by a "revitalized" Palestinian Authority, and for that it is necessary to give the impression that the PA has started to "reform". That is why we are all now supposed to pretend that the PA leadership, with its praise of the October 7 massacre – calling it "heroic" – no longer promotes or rewards terrorism.

Not only has the PA not begun to change the "pay for slay" system, it is adding thousands of terrorist prisoners and "martyrs" to be funded by the scheme, presumably including terrorists who actively participated in the October 7 slaughter, abductions, and mass rapes, torture and murder of Israeli children, women and men. According to Palestinian Media Watch:

"9,750 terrorist prisoners are now recognized by the PA as eligible for monthly terror rewards, up from 4,300 prior to October 7. This means the PA is committing to pay nearly NIS 60 million [$16.4 million] a month to terrorist prisoners. The PA has recognized Hamas' Martyr count, and a total of 38,983 new Martyrs' families are currently eligible for terror rewards. This means nearly 55 million shekels [$14.7 million] in additional monthly payments to the families of Martyrs."

The most recent tally of terrorist prisoners to receive stipends from the PA includes 899 terrorists who were captured in the ongoing Gaza war. That is in addition to the 661 captured terrorists that were announced in January as joining the "Martyrs payment" program. Palestinian Media Watch notes:

"[E]ach of the new terrorist prisoners will receive a starting salary of 1,400 shekels per month ($375 per month), which will rise the longer he or she is in prison, reaching a maximum of 12,000 shekels per month ($3,215 per month)."

The Palestinian Authority is, as always, undergoing a major financial crisis, in part because it has failed to promote a productive economy – a failure made possible by unconditional handouts from the international community. The PA prioritizes its terrorists at the expense of its own employees, paying them only half a salary, while terrorists and their families receive a full salary. The PA, in other words, as a priority, sees itself as the employer and benefactor of terrorists.

PA leader Mahmoud Abbas said on television in 2018:

"By Allah, even if we have only a penny left it will only be spent on the families of the Martyrs and the [terrorist] prisoners, and only afterwards will it be spent on the rest of the people. This is a group that we appreciate and respect, and we consider it the one paving the way to Palestine's independence for the future generations... We view the Martyrs and prisoners as stars in the sky of the Palestinian people and the sky of the Palestinian people's struggle, and they have priority in everything."

Fortunately for Abbas and his terrorists, both the Biden administration, the World Bank and the EU stand ready with taxpayer financing to ensure that the terrorists are not about to run out of murder-for-hire payments anytime soon.

The World Bank, in fact, decided that the PA should get more money. In July, it announced that its usual annual grant to the terrorist entity of $70 million would be raised in to a whopping $300 million, no questions asked. The World Bank thereby knowingly and willingly made itself an active accomplice to terrorism. Even the PA leadership itself seemed surprised at the sum. PA Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa said:

"The World Bank Board of Directors decided a few days ago to increase the annual grant that it provides to the State of Palestine from approximately $70 million to $300 million per year. This is an unprecedented sum in the history of Palestine's relations with the World Bank." [bold in original]

Also in July, the European Union announced that it would provide the Palestinian Authority with 400 million euros ($435.5 million) of EU taxpayer money in emergency financial support in the coming two months "amid concerns within the EU that the authority could collapse." The sole reason why the PA is in the process of collapse is because of its pay-for-slay scheme, but this apparently does not bother the EU in the least: it happily continues to disburse EU taxpayer money to enable Palestinian terrorism.

"The money will be disbursed in the form of grants and loans in three payments between July and September, subject to progress in the implementation of the reform agenda of the Palestinian Authority," the European Commission said in a statement.

What reform agenda?

Incidentally, the 400 million euros are in addition to the 25 million euros the EU announced in May in a second portion of assistance to pay the salaries and pensions of PA civil servants.

That is not all. Despite the deep involvement of UNRWA in Hamas terrorism, the EU is also pouring more taxpayer money there: In March, the European Commission announced

"Today, the Commission has decided to allocate an additional EUR 68 million to support the Palestinian population across the region to be implemented through international partners like the Red Cross and the Red Crescent. This comes in addition to the foreseen EUR 82 million of aid to be implemented through UNRWA in 2024, bringing the total to EUR 150 million."

On May 31, the EU Commission bragged:

"The European Union is the biggest provider of external assistance to the Palestinians which amounts to indicatively almost €1.2 billion [$1.3 billion] for 2021-2024 under the European Joint Strategy, of which €809.4 million have already been adopted."

It is inconceivable that European leaders are unaware of the PA's consistent involvement in terrorism and its approval of the Hamas atrocities committed on October 7. After the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31, Mahmoud Abbas "declared a day of mourning and lowering of flags to half-mast for a full day as a sign of mourning over the assassination of former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh," according to WAFA, the official PA news agency.

Senior PA official and arch terrorist Jibril Rajoub, who holds the powerful role of secretary general of Fatah's Central Committee, eulogized Haniyeh as "a great leader, a dear brother, a friend, and a staunch fighter." In October, Rajoub justified the October 7 massacre: "Hamas is part of our political and social fabric and of our struggle, and their involvement is important."

Nothing above is a secret. All the information is readily available. So why is not one European leader questioning the use of EU taxpayer money for propping up a terrorist regime and its terrorists? Why is the EU knowingly enabling terrorism?

Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.

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Related Topics: Palestinian Authority

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Comment on this item

23 Reader Comments

Paul • Aug 13, 2024 at 07:06

Is this Europe paying Jizya?

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R G Fritz • Aug 12, 2024 at 21:09

I have a bunch - unaffirmed by research - that the EU enjoys huge amounts of cash flow and investments from Arab nations that enjoy the results of terrorist disruptions that are not feasible for them to engage in directly. The World Bank once was a target of terrorists. One can only wonder at such generosity. I feel the same errors of judgement are made time and again, or else it has become acceptable for terrorists to enter normal global societies. The veneer of humanitarian intentions is perhaps the proverbial pavement to Hell How can history hold such a one to blame?

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cammo99 • Aug 9, 2024 at 09:54

If a politician can be bribed and exists for greed and power, money, why can't a Jihadi? It doesn't matter if they actually believe it they can make money from believing it and having others believe its possible. That's real faith and much like the DEI Think. A man with a penis is a woman because he thinks so, Harris's running mate assured little boys in elementary school could have access to tampons. That is what these thugs call such think democracy and freedom the way they have it applied is progress and it proves to me only one thing; they are plain crazy from greed.

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Goh Heung Yong • Aug 9, 2024 at 04:07

Essentially, these Western organizations are without morals. Morality is left out when they make decisions, and when morality is absent, its always due to faulty reasoning.The consequences from reality will bite back at these Western countries as they are already infiltrated with violent savages.

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tiki • Aug 9, 2024 at 03:31

Why? Simple!

To protect their AI constructed project "the palestinian dynasty, deprived of their historic land palestine", stolen from them by the invading colonizing Jews... from 1948 till today!

Problem is that, beside the AI-GPT constructed UN resolutions, there is no evidence whatsoever to be found of this "ancient palestinian dynasty in historic palestine"... 'not in the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Koran and not through archaeological excavations, which keep on unveiling proof of Jewish presence, while the first "palestinian" teacup still must be found.

To not be called a liar, they 'must keep on lying... and paying!

This whole Israel/palestinian conflict is a political, man made conflict, based on lies & BS.... fed by Jew hate! .

Israel doesn't have a conflict with "palestinians", it never had!

The ARABS decided in 1948 that Israel had no right to return to their Biblical land.... and went to war, with the goal to destroy the land of the Jews, with the Jews in it and 'AGAIN in 1956 (Suez Crisis), 1967 (6 day war) 1967-1970 (War of Attrition, Yom Kippur war (1973), Lebanon I (1982), Lebanon II (2006), terror from "palestine" to Iran with daily & open threats to destroy the Jewish country & it's citizens.

And the EU, UN, WB, MEDIA & friends?
They look & enjoy this action movie and accuse ISRAEL of provoking escalation.

Looking from the sidelines, staying numb & paying terror make them accessories to Jew murder.... AGAIN!

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Gerhard Werner Schlicke • Aug 8, 2024 at 11:05

The double standards of donors to the PA from the USA, the EU and especially Germany are unbelievable. On the one hand, support for the only democracy in the Middle East and state of the Jews, Israel, is emphasized again and again, especially when it comes to winning votes. On the other hand, the military arms of Fatah (al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades), Hamas (Qassam Brigades) and Hezbollah (Hezbollah militia) receive massive financial support, without any control over the use of funds.
This "humanitarian aid" is nothing other than the engine of terrorism against Israel, it is a perpetuum mobile and in the end something completely different from the financial support of Hamas by Qatar and the "anti-Israel" aid by Iran, which provides massive military support to the Palestinian terrorist groups despite huge problems of its own. These states are not propagating altruistic aid in order to generate votes, especially for the Red and Green parties; they make no secret of their hatred of Israel. Spending petro-dollars on the Palestinians is certainly better than having them in one's own country, or shooting arrows that one cannot shoot oneself, as in the case of Iran.

In the USA and the EU, the "supporters" of the Palestinians are completely indifferent to the fact that the tens of millions of US dollars and euros are paid out without any control over the use of the funds. It is equally irrelevant whether this money flows directly or indirectly into the private accounts of the Palestinian leaders, starting with Arafat, who had 3.5 billion US dollars stashed away in Swiss accounts, right up to the "leaders of the Palestinians" today, who prefer to live in luxury villas in Qatar rather than in the gutter of the Gaza Strip or even in the terror tunnels paid for by the EU and the World Bank.
Neither the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip nor those in the West Bank question why these enormous funds have not flowed into infrastructure measures such as clean drinking water, sustainable energy production, school education, health care, measures to promote democracy and reduce corruption, the development of their own middle class and the promotion of agriculture etc. for decades, nor do the taxpayers in the USA and the EU question why their hard-earned money is seeping into the Palestinian sand instead of helping to consolidate the budgets in the donor countries.

One may well ask why the same amount of support is not given to needy countries in Africa, South America and Asia? Why is the fuse on the Middle East powder keg always kept dry instead of ensuring that Israel can actually live in peace? "Land for peace" has not worked, money pro bono for the PA does not work either. We should demand much more accountability instead of just listening to fine-sounding speeches before an election.

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Alabama

Gerhard Werner Schlicke • Aug 8, 2024 at 21:37

But why no progress on a two state solution, they have had 75 years, and we know after 100 years events are set in stone, so again, why no attempt at a two state solution after 75 years??

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Gerhard Werner Schlicke

Alabama • Aug 9, 2024 at 11:36

Because the two-state solution is in fact no solution, except that the US Democrats and the EU cling to it as if it were the solution to the Gordian knot.
Jordan, the actual settlement area of the Palestinians with the "West Bank", according to the UN partition plan of 1947, plays no de facto role here, especially since the 25-year peace treaty with the Hashemite Kingdom and Israel was unilaterally terminated by Jordan.
However, Abbas has always been part of the problem rather than part of the solution, in the best tradition of Yasser Arafat. His crude views culminate in the statement: "I have said it before and I will say it again: I will never recognize the Jewishness of the state or of a 'Jewish state'." ....
"We are not talking about a Jewish state and we will not talk about one. For us there is the state of Israel and we will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. I told them that this is their business and that they are free to call themselves whatever they want. But [I told them] you can't expect us to accept that." https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10523/abbas-two-states

It is doubtful whether such a solution proposed by PM Netanyahu (Sinai as a new settlement area for the Palestinians) would be possible with Abbas, even if all states involved were in favor of and supported it. He described Trump's Jerusalem proposal as the "slap in the face of the century" and would never see the Israeli proposal as the opportunity of the century.

Critics argue that Israel wants to institutionalize settlement construction in Judea and Samaria and legalize it retroactively despite international criticism, and that the Palestinians will be driven out of the fertile West Bank for good. The views of Israel and the PA could not be more different.
At first glance, Israel offers only a desert as an alternative. On closer inspection, however, it offers a way out of the status quo in the West Bank that has existed since the UN partition plan and the results of the "6-Day War".
Dismantling the settlements will not be up for discussion and the patchwork quilt in the West Bank will not become a contiguous Palestinian state territory either.
This will not be easy, nor will it be cheap, and it may be a global project similar to the "New Silk Road" or the BRICS alternative. But with the good will of the PA, Egypt, the Arab League and partners on both sides of the Atlantic and a goal-oriented donor conference, it can succeed.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, presented a plan of action for the Palestinians even before the "Abraham Accord" was signed, but it did not go beyond vague ideas, but even these were to cost 50 billion US dollars, without saying where this money would come from and how it would be used without corruption in the PA. However, if one considers both proposals together, i.e. Netanyahu's vision with North Sinai and the economic upswing with Kushner's ideas involving Saudi Arabia and the VAR, then this could be a viable path for a prosperous Palestine of the future. At present, however, it looks more likely that the PA will be misused by Hezbollah and Hamas, remotely controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, as a second spearhead against Israel.
Hopes for a sustainable solution today lie primarily with Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman al Saud and the USA. The visit of a Saudi delegation to Ramallah was certainly a small step in this direction.

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Harvey Radnor • Aug 8, 2024 at 10:12

I'm disgusted but not at all suprised, 2000 years of anti semitism, now it's being funded by EU, US UK, while trying to rip the populations of the western world with the wonderful new green agenda. These countries are running out of ways to fleece their populations what better than this bunkum these banks and organisations must be running low on reserves funding all these willing terrorists in Gaza and elsewhere. Unbelievable.

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Jagdish N Singh • Aug 8, 2024 at 09:38

Who can educate these European leaders as to the implications of their approach towards the notorious Islamists on democracy ?

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Yafit Schtink • Aug 8, 2024 at 08:33

The author identified a very good question. But I didn't see any answers or, moreover, any suggestions for a solution.

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Daniel Feiglin • Aug 8, 2024 at 08:20

The writer asks, "Why is not one European leader questioning the use of EU taxpayer money for propping up a terrorist regime and its terrorists? Why is the EU knowingly enabling terrorism?"
Surely the answer is obvious: The donors to the PA don't give a whit about the PA. They just hate Jews wherever they are and especially Israel. This is just a continuation of the Shoa by other means.

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judith grayson • Aug 8, 2024 at 07:04

Europe, as Elie Wiesel pointed out, is a graveyard. It's soaked in blood and especially Jewish blood. The power elites really only belong to those Europeans who remain unelected and self designated rule makers, awash in money, creating courts and boards and legal mandates of their own design. The maneuvers keep their status, and money and mandates in place like a scourge upon the earth. The EU, supporters of terrorists, rely on the synchronicity of murderous robotic medieval death cults. The wind up toys of ruin, when civilization threatens to impose reason. Orwell's description of "a boot stomping on a human face forever".

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Alex Baldor • Aug 8, 2024 at 06:10

I had difficulty finishing this article. My blood pressure went through the roof. The Government of Israel should be listed as the prime Contributor of the Pay for Slay scheme by allowing it to happen. The Government should sue the world bank and EU to the Israels supreme court accusing them of financing terrorism. If they are found guilty all the funds must be confiscated, no question asked. I wonder would any other country in the world tolerate it?

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Mark Harrison • Aug 8, 2024 at 05:39

I read this stuff with my jaw dropped in disbelief - what planet are these people on ?
There are so many other areas of real suffering in the world and yet these fools keep wasting money on terrorist organisations !!!

Perhaps someone should take them to the International Court of Justice for funding terrorism rather than the ICJ challenging Israel for actually doing something about the terrorists !!

I thank God that Britain pulled out of the EU ....

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Alkflaeda

Mark Harrison • Aug 8, 2024 at 13:36

Same here. Another good reason not to regret voting Brexit. Mind you, just read that our Government has reinstated UNRWA funding... am honestly not sure what the official response would be if the sacked UNRWA workers were to seek asylum here.

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Cedar

Mark Harrison • Aug 9, 2024 at 05:04

What's to be thankful for? Our government has just reinstated funding for UNRWA, a body whose sole purpose is to ensure a ready flow of cash by defining a sub-set of Palestinian Arabs as refugees, even if they are the 3rd or 4th generation descendants of those expelled or fled when Israel was established. Note that nothing is ever said about the 3/4 million Jews expelled or fled from new-made Arab countries. They were forced to abandon homes, land, businesses, bank accounts & private property, but no UN body was ever set up to compensate them. Nor have Arabs ever repaid what was stolen. Our government's assessment of the situation is permanently skewed, & always to the disadvantage of Israel

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solomon • Aug 8, 2024 at 05:35

I like your easy questions : Europe intends on committing suicide ;

1. Antisemitism never departed from Europe
2. Conditional inducement to trade with Arab markets
3. Pacifying Muslim communities in EU

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Jeff Goldwater

solomon • Aug 8, 2024 at 07:11

I wonder too, 4 : in preparedness for WW3 (repeatedly being told by senior politicians and military nowadays to "prepare for war" 1-5 years time. Crazy !) geopolitically the European alliance want to set the chess board to their advantage. (So they think or hope). A mightily dangerous game. Pacifying possible flank hostiles. Israel maybe is tactically sacrificial.

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Jeffrey Goldwater

solomon • Aug 12, 2024 at 07:04

5. Add the very important position of Turkey in all of this. Their president has made made clear his opposition to Israel, his ambition for leadership in the region, and his tactic to hold Europe at ransom over mass Asian immigration into Europe. Turkey is of key importance on NATO's military eastern flank.

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solomon balas

Jeffrey Goldwater • Aug 12, 2024 at 08:55

NATO is a joke. Turkey should not be there. Erdogan is too old to recover the Caliphate . King Charles is probably better suited for the role of Caliph, now UK bending the knee to Islam

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Jeffrey Goldwater

solomon balas • Aug 14, 2024 at 07:27

President Macron of France has been reported to be keen on the forming of a European Union army. Many Brits voted for Brexit with the fear of this concept, along side other reasons. The prospect is denied by pro EU politicians. But I bet we will see such form with Ukraine as a member. NATO with its policy of one for all is thankfully controlled through the USA. The UK is backing NATO. But, Macron's vision of a pan Europe is shared by many European politicians. It is all down to balance of power blocks. The EU wants to be on par with the USA. De Gaul was luke warm to the US, never forgiving the US policy on empires. Turkey is important NATO strategy. But I agree it's a quandary whether they will be reliable should war between the West and East break out. Another thought, what happens if Turkey in any measure attacks Israel. (Been allegedly supplying arms to Gaza). Will Israel respond without the NATO clause of one country is attacked all NATO responds ? Keeping NATO intact is imperative to keeping the lid on a very volatile world. Also to restrain those who would build up Europe as a super power outside the USA .

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Harvey Lithwick • Aug 8, 2024 at 05:26

Since the UN, the US and the EU were and continue to act as the major bankrollers of Barbarian regimes, they are no less complicit than Iran in funding Israel's existential enemies. Yet they have the gall to lecture Israel on humanitarian and international law! Cut the crap, guys. We know who and what you are, so don't lecture us about humanitarian principles.

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