Resolution adopted last week notes that EU currently funds this material and would need to suspend funding in case of misuse
The European Parliament recently passed a resolution that “strongly condemns” the Palestinian Authority for hatred, incitement to violence and antisemitism present in Palestinian textbooks.
The resolution adopted on December 14 noted that the European Union is currently funding this material, and would have to suspend the funding in case of misuse.
The document was supported by a large majority of the parliament. The text on the PA textbooks was part of the larger resolution titled “Prospects for the two-State solution for Israel and Palestine.” Items number 28 and 29 address the Palestinian education curriculum, stating that EU-funded teaching must align with “UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, co-existence and non-violence.” The EU also states that it “strongly condemns the hate speech, violence and antisemitism that continue to be found on Palestinian Authority education curricula.”
In response to the decision, the PA said in a statement that that “the State of Palestine deeply regrets and is concerned about efforts by certain quarters in the European Parliament to inject false claims and attacks against Palestinian children, institutions, and UNRWA.”
Hamas, whose legitimacy was also put in question on the resolution, stated that “This move will give the Israeli occupation the green light to commit further crimes against the Palestinian people and children.”
“Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are in lockstep on the teaching of antisemitism, and incitement to violence in Palestinian schools,” said Marcus Sheff, CEO of the pro-Israel organization Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE). The Israel-based NGO monitors education curricula around the world to ensure that they meet UNESCO standards.
“They have made it crystal clear that they have no intention whatsoever of listening to the EU, which is the biggest donor to the Palestinian educational sector and for change in the curriculum. These textbooks are also used by UNRWA, which is financially supported by the United States,” Sheff continued.
A day prior to the vote, EU’s Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli commented on the issue:
“The European Union has stepped up its engagement with the Palestinian Authority on the basis of the study with the aim to ensure that further curriculum reform addresses problematic issues in the shortest possible timeframe, and that the Palestinian Authority takes responsibility to screen textbooks not analyzed in the study.”
Some members however asked for immediate action:
“Is it too much to ask to make subsidies to the Palestinian Authority conditional? Whereby there are guarantees that our money won’t go to terrorist organizations and won’t be used for textbooks glorifying violence?” asked Bert-Jan Ruissen, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands.
The EU has asked for another report to be made on the PA education materials. The organization has been pushing for changes for several years, and though the threat of defunding is constant, as of now, no action has been taken.
