UNRWA head admits Palestinian textbooks include antisemitism and support for terror - but denies UNRWA teaches them!

 

From EJP:

The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, acknowledged that Palestinian textbooks contain problematic material, while still insisting that the agency takes steps to prevent it from being taught, without showing that how this is actually accomplished.

He stated, in a hearing before the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee (AFET),  that antisemitism, intolerance glorification of terrorism is present in PA textbooks in UNRWA schools and affirmed that his agency had revised the textbooks used in its schools following allegations of antisemitic content.

But several members of the committee questioned him on continued teaching of hate, violence and antisemitism in Palestinian Authority (PA) textbooks and UNRWA materials, citing a recent report by IMPACT-se,  an organization that analyzes schoolbooks and curricula for compliance with UNESCO-defined standards on peace and tolerance. on the textbooks.

It is an interesting strategy to admit that PA textbooks that UNRWA uses are antisemitic and then claiming that UNRWA's antisemitic teachers aren't teaching it.

We know this is a lie because UNRWA's own materials were shown this year to celebrate martyrdom and violence.

Only weeks ago UNRWA claimed that it would create a "tolerance workshop" for employees. However, one of the members of the EU Parliament who questioned Lazzarini noted "the U.S. State Department accountability office (GAO) report on UNRWA said that UNRWA teachers 'have refused to take part in training for tolerance and conflict resolution.'"

 

The EU is certainly holding UNRWA's feet to the fire more than anyone else, although it hasn't affected their funding.

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