European Parliament urges funding freeze
over PA textbook hate; targets UNRWA

In a significant statement, the European Parliament passed resolutions which strongly condemn textbooks produced by the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the sixth consecutive year. The resolutions call for EU funding to the PA to be frozen until textbooks are reformed. It signals growing pressure on the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, to adopt a similar stance and take appropriate action.

The resolutions were adopted as part of a vote on the EU’s budget procedure which scrutinizes how European taxpayer funds have been spent. The parliament stated that EU funds to the PA should be frozen “on the condition that textbook content is aligned with UNESCO standards, that all anti-Semitic references are deleted, and that examples which incite to hatred and violence are removed.”  Another resolution stated that the PA must “remove all educational materials and content that fail to adhere to UNESCO standards by the next school year, in particular those that contain antisemitism.” Importantly, the statement advocates that all educational materials should adhere to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

The resolutions were championed by the Parliament’s chair of the influential budgetary control committee and were supported across the political spectrum, including centre-left parties.

The resolutions were passed by an overwhelming majority in Parliament.

This marks a clear and powerful condemnation of the Palestinian Authority’s education system and sets a clear standard for accountability in EU funding. The timing is also critical: In July 2024, the European Commission announced an agreement with the PA to condition funding on textbook reform for the first time. Not only has there been no evidence of meaningful reform, but IMPACT-se’s March 2025 report presented to the EU in Brussels revealed that the PA has created an entirely new curriculum for Gaza that actively incites violence, promotes anti-Semitism, glorifies terrorism and martyrdom, and encourages jihad.

In April 2025, despite the lack of reform, the European Union held a high-level dialogue with the PA and pledged a three-year support package, again tying the funding to reforms. Today’s European Parliament resolutions serve as a direct challenge to that decision, and clearly, explicitly increases the demand for PA textbook reform.

Furthermore, the European Parliament also passed a resolution to ensure “that no Union funds are allocated to individuals or organisations linked to any kind of terrorist movements” and in this context noted that UNRWA employees are alleged to have participated in the horror of October 7. Acknowledging the alternatives to UNRWA, the resolution urges the Commission “to also make full use of trusted partners, such as the WHO, WFP, and UNICEF.”

European Parliament members from across the political spectrum, representing millions of EU taxpayers, took the opportunity to speak out against Palestinian hate teaching:

Niclas Herbst MEP (European People’s Party) and Rapporteur of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT): “Today the Parliament made clear that Palestinian textbooks should not promote violence, incite hatred, or spread anti-Semitism. It is our responsibility to ensure that European taxpayers’ money promotes coexistence, respect for human rights, and mutual understanding. At the same time, we must demand full accountability and transparency from our partners, so that no EU funding supports educational materials that undermine these fundamental goals.”

Sabrina Repp MEP (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats), Member of the European Parliament Committee for Culture and Education: “Education is the foundation of every new generation. It must be based on peace, respect, and human dignity. The European Parliament sent a strong message today: We will not turn away when children are exposed to hatred and division. All students have the right to an education that promotes understanding and reconciliation – not fear and division.”

Bert-Jan Ruissen MEP (European Conservatives and Reformists Group) and substitute on the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT): “Education funded by EU taxpayers must reflect Europe’s core values of peace and respect, not hatred and violence. We have a duty to ensure that Palestinian textbooks no longer teach anti-Semitism or glorify terror. Only when incitement ends can there be any hope for a peaceful future in the region.”

IMPACT-se CEO, Marcus Sheff: “It is gratifying to see that the European Parliament holding the Palestinian Authority, UNRWA and the European Commission itself to account. European taxpayer money simply cannot be abused to fund a Palestinian education which fuels the kind of extreme hatred and unimaginable violence we saw on 7 October. We will continue to monitor the Palestinian education system and demand that it makes the reforms it promised the EU.”

Source: “European Parliament urges funding freeze over PA textbook hate; targets UNRWA,” IMPACT-se, (May 7, 2025).