A bill aimed to designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) a terrorist organization passed its first reading in the Israeli Knesset on Wednesday.

If approved the Bill to Abolish the Immunity and Privileges of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) would cancel the privileges and immunities currently provided to employees of the UN organization.

Theose immunities established by the 1947 UN Privileges and Immunities Ordinance exempt the United Nations and its officials from legal action, taxes, import and export bans, among other things.

Diplomatic immunities extended to UNRWA staff would be revoked by Israel’s foreign affairs minister.

The bill introduced by Knesset member Yulia Malinovsky was approved in a 42:6 vote and now returns to committee for further tweaking and then two more readings in the Knesset plenum.

If the measure passes the third reading, Israel’s Anti-Terrorism Law will apply to UNRWA, closing its assets in the State of Israel and ending all ties between the agency and the Jewish State.

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