Written Evidence Dec. 18 2023
Inquiry: The UK’s engagement with the Middle East and North AfricaFound: and national trends, including the prospects of realizing a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
Mentions:
1: Andrew Mitchell (Con - Sutton Coldfield) with all partners in the region to reach a long-term political solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians - Speech Link
2: David Lammy (Lab - Tottenham) their families in agony.In Gaza, the past few weeks have been an unimaginable nightmare for innocent Palestinians - Speech Link
3: Andrew Percy (Con - Brigg and Goole) It is the Palestinian Authority whose textbooks preach hate against Jews, not just in Israel but around - Speech Link
Found: In March 2020 and June 2021, the House of Commons debated the content of Palestinian school textbooks
Mentions:
1: Lord Hain (Lab - Life peer) Palestinians of whatever political stripe cannot defeat Israel militarily; nor can Israel defeat Palestinians - Speech Link
2: Baroness Suttie (LD - Life peer) has just chosen to invest in a 30-year contract with Cambridge University Press for its core school textbooks—we - Speech Link
3: Baroness Deech (XB - Life peer) It has given make-believe employment to thousands of Palestinians. - Speech Link
4: Lord Desai (XB - Life peer) Where would the Palestinians go? There are millions of them to resettle. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Andy Slaughter (Lab - Hammersmith) The Palestinian mission represents all Palestinians irrespective of religion, but there is undoubtedly - Speech Link
2: Apsana Begum (Lab - Poplar and Limehouse) civilians and children, and the subsequent Israeli military assault, which has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians - Speech Link
3: Matthew Offord (Con - Hendon) Reports also indicate that Ahmadis are still portrayed in a negative light in school textbooks, while - Speech Link
4: Sarah Owen (Lab - Luton North) If we are to avoid the further ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, I urge the Minister to speak directly - Speech Link
5: Zarah Sultana (Lab - Coventry South) Because I am a Muslim who supports the rights of the Palestinians, far-right trolls widely share claims - Speech Link
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
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.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
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.
Found: At least 32,623 Palestinians hav e been reported killed and about 75,092 injured across Gaza and Israel
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
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
Mentions:
1: James Cleverly (CON - Braintree) We strongly believe that that is in the best interests of Israelis and Palestinians. - Speech Link
2: Bambos Charalambous (LAB - Enfield, Southgate) the Secretary of State tell us what steps are being taken to ensure that Israel stops the eviction of Palestinians - Speech Link
3: Andrew Selous (CON - South West Bedfordshire) We all condemn the violence that has led to the death of so many Palestinians and Israelis this month - Speech Link
4: James Cleverly (CON - Braintree) in the Department, I raised with the then Palestinian Education Minister the situation relating to textbooks - Speech Link