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Congress & the Middle East: Statement on Palestinian Textbooks

(July 2005)

Excerpted from H.R.2601 — Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House):

SEC. 1424. PALESTINIAN TEXTBOOKS.

 

    (a) Findings- Congress finds the following:
      (1) Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $1,400,000,000 to assist the Palestinian people, including to assist with the process of strengthening the Palestinian education system.
      (2) Since 1950, the United States has provided more than $3,200,000,000 in assistance to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which operates schools in camps housing Palestinians.
      (3) The Palestinian Authority has undertaken a reform of its textbooks, a process which will be completed in 2006.
      (4) These new textbooks, while an improvement over past texts, fail in many respects to foster attitudes amongst the Palestinian people conducive to peace with Israel, including references to the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion, failure to acknowledge the State of Israel, and failure to discuss Jews in sections dealing with religious tolerance.
    (b) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should express in the strongest possible terms United States opposition to the inclusion in Palestinian textbooks of materials which foster anti-Semitism and rejection of peace with Israel, and to express the unwillingness of the United States to continue to support educational programs of the Palestinian Authority, whether directly or indirectly, should the Palestinian Authority continue to include material which does not foster tolerance and peace.

Sources: Thomas