(Thursday, April 29, 2021) – The European Jewish Congress (EJC) welcomes and applauds the European Parliament’s resolution expressing concern at the “hate speech and violence taught in Palestinian schools” run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Among the demands in the resolution were that there should be a review of the teaching materials to ensure hate and antisemitism are not taught, that UNRWA should publish its teaching materials on an open source, and that EU funding should be conditional on the content complying with UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and non-violence.
The resolution, adopted as part of a report presented for the European Parliament’s annual budget discharge, calls for a review of teaching materials used in UNRWA-run schools to ensure hate and antisemitism are not taught, for these materials to be published on an open source, and for EU funding to be conditional on their content complying with UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and non-violence.
“This decision is a vital step towards a peaceful resolve to the conflict and a better future for both Israelis and Palestinians,” Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the EJC, said.
“Incitement to hatred and violence is by far the greatest obstacle to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There can be no peace with those who are taught to hate. Meaningful peace will only be achieved when there is no more hate, violence and bloodshed.”
“This resolution shows the importance of promoting conditionality in the EU’s external action in the service of peace, and we call on all UNRWA funders to follow this recommendation,” Dr. Kantor concluded.”
