Endless Saga: Europe Again Calls Out UN Over Antisemitic Palestinian Schoolbooks

“Work on the problems, instead of insulting those that raise them,” demands EU lawmaker in scathing criticism of UNRWA

JNS

Sep 5, 2022 at 9:30 am

| Topics: palestinians, Antisemitism, UN

(JNS) Members of the European Union Parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs Committee slammed United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini last week over the content of textbooks used by UNRWA schools.

UNRWA is the dedicated United Nations agency for the so-called Palestinian “refugee problem.” It’s primary activity is the running of hundreds of schools throughout Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

During a hearing on August 31, the Committee’s members cited findings from the latest report by Israeli NGO IMPACT-se, which monitors Palestinian curricula to assess whether young people are being indoctrinated with hate. The report, published in July this year, examined UNRWA’s self-produced educational materials, and found that they promoted hatred, antisemitism and the celebration of terrorism, bloodshed and martyrdom.

See: EU Slashes Funding for Antisemitic Palestinian Schoolbooks

EU Parliament representatives from across a range of political parties criticized UNRWA in light of the findings.

According to a press release by IMPACT-se, left-wing German member Reinhard Bütikofer of the European Green Party criticized Lazzarini’s position on the recent problematic findings in UNRWA’s educational materials and UNRWA’s tactic of attacking IMPACT-se, stating:

“And I think [that] when you say, and I quote, that ‘these are baseless and shameless accusations’—end of quote—then you are probably falling victim [to] the emotional dimensions. I do not agree that those criticisms are ‘baseless and shameless,’ and I’m weary of having to go back to the same conversation year after year. I think it is an easy task to make sure that no antisemitic material will ever be financed. So, please—work on the problem[s], instead of insulting those that raise them.”

The chair of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), MEP David MccAlister, also criticized UNRWA’s continued misconduct as an “endless saga” while calling for “sustainable improvements” and explanations on ensuring neutrality in education.

The vice chair of the committee, MEP Željana Zovko, from the European Peoples Party, had a similar message for the UNRWA chief, stating:

“So if you are in denial that there was an issue with the educational books, and you are going to say that we are all stupid here when we understood that there was an issue with these books. If in your mind there is no issue, then the issue was clearly not resolved.”