Israel takes its attacks on UNRWA schools to the United Nations
Palestinian children fly kites at an UNRWA school in Gaza City on 12 March 2018 in a protest against US aid cuts
Aseel Jundi reports in Middle East Eye:
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has claimed that textbooks used by schools run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugess in the Near East (UNRWA) contained inciteful content.
In discussion with UNRWA’s chief, Philippe Lazzarini, Erdan said that the agency was allowing an infrastructure of incitement in its facilities, including in its school curricula.
The ambassador demanded that the UN agency “end the incitement and antisemitism in UNRWA schools and publicly pledge to eliminate any terrorist infrastructure in its buildings”.
Erdan claimed that UNRWA did not attempt to integrate Palestinian refugees within the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) jurisdiction, nor in Arab states hosting them, hence prolonging the conflict and therefore had no “legitimacy to exist”.
For over 70 years, UNRWA has played an integral part in the lives of Palestinian refugees in the occupied Palestinian territories and neighbouring countries by providing essential services such as education, health care and employment.
In response to Erdan, Lazzarini said that UNRWA was working on developing a programme that would examine the content of curricula taught in Palestinian schools and would submit its findings and recommendations to the heads of the agency.