Pressure increasing on PA
THE GOVERNMENT has announced a review of the Palestinian Authority’s educational curriculum, amid fears British taxpayers are paying for lessons which teach children antisemitism and glorify terrorism.
The decision came as Israel and Australia also made moves to curb the PA’s funding of terrorists’ families.
Alistair Burt, Middle East Minister, announced a “rigorous and independent review” of PA textbooks — but added that it would not be completed until September 2019.
The UK pays more than £20 million in aid each year towards a curriculum which has been criticised for inciting pupils to become jihadists and martyrs.
Joan Ryan MP, Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) chair, said: “It is totally unacceptable that the government has announced today that its review of the PA’s curriculum of hate will not conclude until September 2019.
“This is two years after LFI first raised concerns and, all the while, more Palestinian children are being taught — at UK taxpayer’s expense — lessons in the virtues of violence and martyrdom.
“All UK aid to the PA which directly or indirectly finances those teaching and implementing this curriculum must be immediately suspended until the PA commits to wholesale and urgent revisions of the curriculum.”
In a Westminster Hall debate on Palestinian incitement on Wednesday, Ms Ryan said: “Palestinian children deserve so much better than to be taught that the best they can aspire to in life is death.”
She said Britain should cut its aid to the PA by 14 per cent — double the percentage of the PA budget which is used to pay terrorist salaries — and invest the money instead in a Palestinian Peace Fund aimed at young people.
In a letter to Ms Ryan and fellow Labour MP Ian Austin, Mr Burt said he was “concerned” by the findings of a report into incitement in Palestinian textbooks, and said the government had “brought forward a planned assessment of the Palestinian curriculum”.
The Department for International Development has previously defended the use of British aid, saying it helps 25,000 young Palestinians gain a vital education each year.
On Monday night, the Knesset passed a law to freeze PA money being paid to families of those jailed by Israel or killed while carrying out terror attacks.
The new law requires the Israeli government to withhold an amount of tax revenue equal to what the PA pays to “individuals who were involved in terror activity against Israelis and their familes”.
Avigdor Lieberman, Defence Minister, said of the legislation: “An effective war on terrorism also passes through the pocket of the terrorists, of their families and of Mahmoud Abbas.”
Since the 1990s, Israel has collected taxes and tariffs levied on goods passing through its territory on behalf of the PA.
The new legislation will see the freezing of part of the £99m in tax revenues collected by the PA each month. Estimates suggest around seven per cent of the PA’s annual budget is spent on payments to the families of Palestinians involved in conflict each year.
The PA has claimed the money is for the welfare of prisoners and “martyrs” but Israeli politicians have long argued that it is intended as a sign of support for terrorism.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the new law as “piracy and theft”.
On the same day, Australia said it would no longer fund a World Bank programme for the PA over concerns it was helping to provide money for Palestinians convicted of political violence.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed the programme, which has raised £1.14bn in donations since 2008, would no longer receive Australian funding. The money will instead be given to a separate UN project for Palestinians.