Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2021 to Question 138478, whether he has made representations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency on reports that educational material published by that UN agency during the covid-19 pandemic includes content promoting violence against Israel.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government has zero-tolerance to incitement of violence, and we have raised this issue with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We contacted the UNRWA directly regarding this issue and understand that as soon as the mistake was identified, the UNRWA took swift action to correct the issue and conducted a thorough review to address any education materials in breach of its policies. We continue to monitor the situation to ensure self-learning materials remain in line with UN values.
Asked by: Andrew Bowie (Conservative - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2021 to Question 138479, what assessment he has made of the long-term effect of extremist educational material reportedly taught by UK-funded teachers in the West Bank and Gaza on the prospects for a two-state solution.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
An independent review of the content in Palestinian textbooks led by our European partners is currently underway. The study is due to be completed in early 2021. We continue to press our European partners to complete the review as soon as possible. We will study its findings carefully.
We have a regular dialogue with the PA in which we raise concerns about allegations of inappropriate content in textbooks. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Baroness Tonge (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that material is being included in textbooks for school children in Israel which incites hatred and violence towards Palestinians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government strongly condemns all forms of violence and incitement to violence, including the use of racist, hateful or anti-Palestinian language and any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice. We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for a peace.
Asked by: Nicola Richards (Conservative - West Bromwich East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2020 to Question 92026 on Palestinians: Schools, whether the final EU report on the previous Palestinian Authority curriculum will be published by the end of 2020; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The independent review of the content in Palestinian textbooks, led by our European partners, is currently underway. We have regular discussions with European partners on the review, including on plans for publication. The UK has repeatedly lobbied the EU to push for publication, but this is ultimately a decision for the EU.
To ensure that the final report is representative, the study has been extended to include a sample of textbooks introduced for school year 2020-21. Consequently, the study will now be completed in early 2021.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2020 to Question 120022 on Palestinians: Radicalism, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies in the event that the Palestinian Authority does not (a) remove material allegedly inciting violence against Israel and Jews from the school curriculum and (b) change the names of official Palestinian Authority schools reportedly named after terrorists.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is concerned about allegations of incitement in Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks. The UK does not fund textbooks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The PA is in the process of revising its textbooks and we understand that it has already updated Grades 1-6 and hopes to update the remaining textbooks as soon as possible.
An independent review of the content in Palestinian textbooks led by our European partners is currently underway. The final report is due in the near future and we will study its findings carefully before deciding any next steps. We have also raised our concerns about school naming at senior levels within the Palestinian Authority and will continue to do so.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2020 to Question 117220 on Palestinians: Radicalism, what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on (a) the content of textbooks in the new Palestinian Authority school curriculum which allegedly incites violence against Israel and Jews and (b) the reported naming of official Palestinian Authority schools after people convicted of terrorism offences.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is concerned about allegations of incitement in Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks. The UK does not fund textbooks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. UK aid to the PA helps to ensure it can deliver essential services, including by the contributing to the salaries of carefully vetted education and healthcare professionals in the West Bank.
We regularly raise our concerns about allegations of incitement in Palestinian textbooks and school naming at senior levels within the PA and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Buckingham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What progress has been made on the international review of the content of Palestinian Authority school textbooks.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is concerned about allegations of incitement in Palestinian Authority textbooks. The Foreign Secretary raised this with the Palestinian Authority (PA) during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in August.
An independent, EU commissioned, review of PA textbooks is ongoing. In July, an interim report was submitted to the EU. We have regular discussions with our European Partners to encourage them to finalise the report as soon as possible. Officials discussed the review with the EU most recently on 19 November.
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, what steps the Government has taken to encourage the EU to publish the interim report of the Georg Eckert Institute on the Palestinian Authority’s school textbooks; and what response the Government has received from the EU.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Following UK calls for action, the EU commissioned the Georg Eckert Institute, a specialist textbook analysis centre, to undertake a robust, impartial review of Palestinian textbooks. We have remained in close dialogue with our European partners throughout the process, including urging them to complete the review as soon as possible. In July an interim report was submitted to the EU for approval. The EU used the report to inform partners, including the UK, about the current status of progress and to receive feedback. Publication of the interim report is not currently foreseen by the EU. The UK has repeatedly lobbied the EU to push for publication, but this is ultimately a decision for the EU.
Asked by: Jonathan Gullis (Conservative - Stoke-on-Trent North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts in response to reports that the EU's review into the Palestinian curriculum presents Israeli textbooks as those published by the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government has a zero tolerance approach towards incitement to violence and lobbied our European partners to conduct a thorough independent review of textbooks used in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which is now underway. This review is ongoing, and the final report is not due until the end of 2020. We will study its findings carefully.
The UK does not comment on leaked reports. Our European partners have been clear that the study does not look at Israeli textbooks. We understand that the methodology of the study will include a separate section on a very limited sample of textbooks used in East Jerusalem and modified by Israel for the purpose of comparison.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 July 2020 to Question 76939 on Palestinians: Textbooks, what mechanisms are in place for scrutiny of the updated Palestinian Authority curriculum for the academic year in September 2020.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about allegations of incitement in the Palestinian Authority's (PA) curriculum. Anti-Semitism, violence and hate have no place in society. We repeatedly raise our concerns with the highest levels of the PA. The Foreign Secretary did so with the Palestinian Prime Minister and Minister for Education on his most recent visit. We welcome the PA's work to revise its textbooks and their intention to publish updated content for the start of the school year in September 2020.
Following UK calls for action, our European Partners commissioned the Georg Eckert Institute to conduct an independent review of Palestinian textbooks, which is currently underway. We have regular discussions with our European Partners on the review and continue to encourage them to finalise the report as soon as possible. We await the findings of the review, due later this year.