# CE2004088EN.01041001.xml

| 8.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 88/410 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 88/410

---

(2004/C 88 E/0416)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2420/03

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject:   Repeated Israeli accusations against Palestinian media and school textbooks and the consequent continued campaign against payments from the EU

Subject:

| 1. | Is the Commission aware that the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation, which has been monitoring Palestinian TV broadcasts, newspapers and school textbooks for the past six years, takes the view that, even in recent broadcasts and publications, the Jewish inhabitants of Israel are being depicted as casual colonial invaders who have no historical connection with the region, that Jaffa (currently a suburb of Tel Aviv), Beersheba and the Sea of Galilee (Yam Kinneret) are being described as being part of Palestine and that young people are being urged to sacrifice themselves and die a martyr's death through ‘shahada’? |
| --- | --- |

1.

Is the Commission aware that the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation, which has been monitoring Palestinian TV broadcasts, newspapers and school textbooks for the past six years, takes the view that, even in recent broadcasts and publications, the Jewish inhabitants of Israel are being depicted as casual colonial invaders who have no historical connection with the region, that Jaffa (currently a suburb of Tel Aviv), Beersheba and the Sea of Galilee (Yam Kinneret) are being described as being part of Palestine and that young people are being urged to sacrifice themselves and die a martyr's death through ‘shahada’?

| 2. | Is the Commission also aware that, according to that same source, an opinion poll carried out in August 2002 at the Palestinian Birzeit University showed that 42 % of all Palestinians were in favour of a multiparty democracy and 42 % of an Islamic one-party state, whereas, as a result of the propaganda aimed at the younger generation, 58 % of those aged between 18 and 25 were in favour of an Islamic one-party state? |
| --- | --- |

2.

Is the Commission also aware that, according to that same source, an opinion poll carried out in August 2002 at the Palestinian Birzeit University showed that 42 % of all Palestinians were in favour of a multiparty democracy and 42 % of an Islamic one-party state, whereas, as a result of the propaganda aimed at the younger generation, 58 % of those aged between 18 and 25 were in favour of an Islamic one-party state?

| 3. | Is the Commission aware that this disturbing information is being used again and again as an argument for ending EU financial support for the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, thereby hampering efforts to bring Palestine's educational system and economy as far as possible up to the level of Israel's? |
| --- | --- |

3.

Is the Commission aware that this disturbing information is being used again and again as an argument for ending EU financial support for the areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, thereby hampering efforts to bring Palestine's educational system and economy as far as possible up to the level of Israel's?

| 4. | In the light of the most recent accusations, is the Commission still certain that the budgetary support and project funding supplied by the EU cannot also be allocated for propaganda purposes by the parties concerned with a view to achieving unilateral and violent solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? |
| --- | --- |

4.

In the light of the most recent accusations, is the Commission still certain that the budgetary support and project funding supplied by the EU cannot also be allocated for propaganda purposes by the parties concerned with a view to achieving unilateral and violent solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

| 5. | What can the Commission do in order to ensure that, with the welcome continuation and expansion of aid to the Palestinian people, the climate for the establishment of a fully-fledged Palestinian State and peaceful coexistence with its neighbour Israel in recognised and secure borders is not destroyed? |
| --- | --- |

5.

What can the Commission do in order to ensure that, with the welcome continuation and expansion of aid to the Palestinian people, the climate for the establishment of a fully-fledged Palestinian State and peaceful coexistence with its neighbour Israel in recognised and secure borders is not destroyed?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 September 2003)

(12 September 2003)

| 1. | The Commission is aware of the work of the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation and other organisations which have produced reports on the content of Palestinian media and school curricula. |
| --- | --- |

1.

The Commission is aware of the work of the Israeli ‘Palestinian Media Watch’ organisation and other organisations which have produced reports on the content of Palestinian media and school curricula.

| 2. | The Commission is also aware of the opinion poll referred to. |
| --- | --- |

2.

The Commission is also aware of the opinion poll referred to.

| 3. | The Commission is aware of the use being made of this information. |
| --- | --- |

3.

The Commission is aware of the use being made of this information.

| 4. | The Commission has no evidence of Community funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) being misused for anything other than its agreed purpose. Should such evidence come to light, immediate action would be taken. |
| --- | --- |

4.

The Commission has no evidence of Community funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) being misused for anything other than its agreed purpose. Should such evidence come to light, immediate action would be taken.

| 5. | Commission support to the Palestinians is aimed at alleviating the economic and humanitarian crisis whilst at the same time building the institutions of a future independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, as laid out most recently in the Roadmap.
  Deepening reform, helping the population to face the economic crisis and promoting the principles of good governance and of mutual tolerance and understanding is the best strategy to establish a peaceful coexistence between Israel and the Palestinian people. These principles have long underpinned the Commission programme in support of the Palestinians. The Commission has put its weight behind reform by designing tailor-made institution-building programmes for the Palestinian Authority (e.g. in the area of judiciary) and by attaching strict reform conditions to its assistance. This has already yielded positive results most notably in the area of public finances and the adoption of key legal acts.
  The new PA Government under Prime Minister Abbas has committed itself to a wide-ranging reform programme, including concrete measures to eradicate incitement, which was outlined during the Joint Committee Meeting of the EC-PA Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Cooperation of 26 June 2003. The Roadmap obligations are being monitored closely by the international community.
  The Commission is supportive of the efforts of a number of Member States to develop a modern Palestinian education system based on tolerance and mutual understanding and regularly facilitates, in this respect, contacts with the PA and dialogue with all relevant parties.
  Finally, the Commission should like to inform the Honourable Member that the importance of Community donor support in both keeping the Palestinian economy alive and in supporting the implementation of key democratic reform measures has been widely recognised by the international community, notably at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting of international donors (including the Union, United States, Norway, and the World Bank) in London on 18/19 February 2003. |
| --- | --- |

5.

Commission support to the Palestinians is aimed at alleviating the economic and humanitarian crisis whilst at the same time building the institutions of a future independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel, as laid out most recently in the Roadmap.

Deepening reform, helping the population to face the economic crisis and promoting the principles of good governance and of mutual tolerance and understanding is the best strategy to establish a peaceful coexistence between Israel and the Palestinian people. These principles have long underpinned the Commission programme in support of the Palestinians. The Commission has put its weight behind reform by designing tailor-made institution-building programmes for the Palestinian Authority (e.g. in the area of judiciary) and by attaching strict reform conditions to its assistance. This has already yielded positive results most notably in the area of public finances and the adoption of key legal acts.

The new PA Government under Prime Minister Abbas has committed itself to a wide-ranging reform programme, including concrete measures to eradicate incitement, which was outlined during the Joint Committee Meeting of the EC-PA Interim Association Agreement on Trade and Cooperation of 26 June 2003. The Roadmap obligations are being monitored closely by the international community.

The Commission is supportive of the efforts of a number of Member States to develop a modern Palestinian education system based on tolerance and mutual understanding and regularly facilitates, in this respect, contacts with the PA and dialogue with all relevant parties.

Finally, the Commission should like to inform the Honourable Member that the importance of Community donor support in both keeping the Palestinian economy alive and in supporting the implementation of key democratic reform measures has been widely recognised by the international community, notably at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting of international donors (including the Union, United States, Norway, and the World Bank) in London on 18/19 February 2003.

---