Germany’s CDU Backs Conditional Aid to Palestinian Authority, Calls for Ending UNRWA Funding
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) adopted a resolution at its party conference in Stuttgart on Feb. 21, 2026, calling for strict new conditions on future German and European funding for the Palestinian Authority and for a shift in refugee assistance away from United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), citing concerns over governance, incitement and alleged ties to terrorist organizations.
The resolution, adopted following the ceasefire in Gaza, urges the Federal Government and the European Commission to ensure that postwar reconstruction and assistance support democratic, constitutional and nonviolent structures in the Palestinian territories and promote peaceful coexistence with Israel.
Under the measures, all future payments to the Palestinian Authority would be conditional on verified compliance with requirements set by Germany and the European Union. Until such compliance is demonstrated, funding earmarked for the Authority would be frozen. The resolution states that even after payments resume, they would be automatically suspended again if the Authority violates the conditions.
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The CDU specifically highlighted two requirements: an end to payments from the Palestinian Authority’s budget to families of terrorists, referred to as “pay to slay,” and a halt to financing school textbooks containing anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli incitement. The party cited repeated demands by the European Parliament that such materials not be funded, as well as confirmations by the European Commission that payments to families of terrorists have continued, violating German and European budget rules prohibiting funds for terrorist purposes.
The resolution also calls for Germany and the European Union to discontinue support for UNRWA. Instead, humanitarian aid and refugee assistance for Palestinians would be provided through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as well as other UN bodies and government and private programs.
The CDU argued that, unlike UNHCR’s globally applied refugee definition, refugee status under UNRWA is inherited, which it said hampers integration and a negotiated settlement. The party also cited investigations after Oct. 7, 2023, that confirmed close links between UNRWA and terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
In addition, the resolution requires all recipients of EU or German funds operating in the Palestinian territories to commit in advance to recognizing Israel’s right to exist and to adhering to Germany’s zero-tolerance policy on antisemitism. Compliance would be assessed using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism and UNESCO educational standards, with regular external reviews and immediate funding freezes in the event of violations.
