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CFI Parliamentary Chair (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP underlined this week that the UK’s ongoing support for Palestinian teachers who draft and teach antisemitic content “undermines our commitment to combating anti-Jewish racism”.
Writing in the Jewish News, Mr Crabb said “the content of the curriculum should also be of no surprise to UK Ministers and officials who have fielded questions from concerned parliamentarians of all political stripes for well over a decade now”.
He emphasised that “as a strong believer in our overseas aid budget, it is my long-held view that UK aid should be implemented in line with Government policy aims. Yet our ongoing support for Palestinian teachers delivering this hateful curriculum runs counter to our objectives of bringing about a two-state solution and fostering peace in the region”.
Last week, the UK Government accepted that a much-anticipated European Union report into the Palestinian school curriculum confirmed that it features “anti-Israel, antisemitic content” and pledged a “zero tolerance” approach, after Conservative MPs raised concerns during a Westminster Hall debate on the EU review into Palestinian textbooks.
The eight MPs condemned condemned extremism in the Palestinian curriculum, questioning the UK’s use of taxpayers’ money to pay the salaries of Palestinian teachers using this material, and called on the Government to instead give greater funding to peaceful coexistence projects.
The debate was led by former school teacher and school inspector Caroline Ansell MP.
