Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Palestinian counterpart on the content of Palestinian Authority textbooks.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We regularly discuss issues relating to the curriculum and textbooks with counterparts including in the Palestinian Authority (PA). The UK-supported 2021 review of the Palestinian Authority (PA) curriculum found improvements in content, with previously flagged materials removed. We need to see further curriculum reform from the PA, and we continue to raise this with them regularly.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on the findings of the report published by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education entitled UNRWA Education: Textbooks and Terror, published in November 2023.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We have discussed issues relating to the curriculum and textbooks with counterparts in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Authority. This specific report has not been discussed with the Commissioner-General, however we are aware of the findings. We take any allegation of the promotion of racism and discrimination extremely seriously. Any allegations of breaches of UN staff regulations and rules, including neutrality breaches, are reported to FCDO and investigated. We continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether reports of antisemitic and extremist content in Palestinian school textbooks adhere to (1) the Palestinian Authority–Department for International Development Memorandum of Understanding, and (2) the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to take action against incitement to violence.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority (PA) includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable and has no place in education. We continue to assess the PA's commitment to peace in line with our Partnership Principles.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2022 to Question 63914 on Palestinians: Textbooks, whether the United Nations Relief and Works Agency committed to take steps after his Department raised its concerns following the Review of 2022 UNRWA-Produced Study Materials in the Palestinian Territories published by IMPACT-se in July 2022.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 25 October 2022 to Question 63914, the answer can be found on the Q&A web pages on https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-10-17/63914

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of whether study materials produced by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East for use in the Palestinian Territories meet UNESCO standards of peace and tolerance in education.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We are longstanding supporters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and their work to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We accompany our support for the UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to IMPACT-se’s Review of 2022 UNRWA-Produced Study Materials in the Palestinian Territories, published in July 2022, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy of that review.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Government has zero tolerance towards incitement of violence. We are aware of the recent IMPACT-SE report and raised with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) directly. We are longstanding supporters of UNRWA and their work to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We accompany our support for UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to the learning material UNRWA produces in the OPTs to ensure they reflect UN values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the Review of 2022 UNRWA-Produced Study Materials in the Palestinian Territories published by IMPACT-se in July 2022.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Government has zero tolerance towards incitement of violence. We are aware of the recent Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) report and raised with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) directly. We are longstanding supporters of UNRWA and their work to provide essential services to Palestinian refugees across the region, including in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). We accompany our support for UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to the learning material UNRWA produces in the OPTs to ensure they reflect UN values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2022 to Question 8084, what the Government's position is on the findings of the EU review into Palestinian textbooks that the Palestinian Authority school curriculum features anti-Israel, antisemitic content; and if she will make a statement on her Department’s aid strategy to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable and has no place in education. The report commissioned by the EU into Palestinian textbooks highlights meaningful progress but also indicates that problematic content remains. We continue to raise our concerns to the highest level of the Palestinian Authority and urge removal of the content. The UK is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We accompany our support for the UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 January 2021 to Question 143050 on Palestinians: Textbooks, how many mistakes in educational material published by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA have been identified by UNRWA since 1 January 2020.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence. We accompany our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values. We understand that UNRWA has continued to review and address any education materials in breach of its policies. We remain confident that UNRWA has taken the issue seriously and has taken steps to improve their risk management system and quality assurance of educational materials.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the cost of educational materials with hateful content in the Palestinian education system that were recalled by the UN Relief and Works Agency.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

We have not made this assessment. The UK will continue to monitor UNRWA's implementation of its curriculum framework to ensure UNRWA's educational materials, including those on the digital learning platform, are in line with UN values. We accompany our support for UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to any educational materials.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the most effective ways to avoid educational materials with hateful content funded by the UK being produced for Palestinian children.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system to provide opportunities for the next generation. We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties and should have no place in education. We will continue to raise concerns about this with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs.

Found: The summary and full report expands on the conclusions quoted here. 74 PQ 15315 [ Palestinians: