WRITTEN QUESTION P-3643/00

by Rijk van Dam (EDD) to the Commission

(17 November 2000)

Subject: European assistance for publication of Palestinian school textbooks

The Palestinian Authority has been able to publish its own teaching materials for the first time. Publication has been made possible by assistance from the European Union and applies to textbooks for the first and sixth grades (children in age groups 6-7 and 11-12). The Italian consul, Gianni Ghisi, was responsible for organising European assistance. Despite an agreement that the consul would examine the text of the books before publication, he was not allowed to inspect them. The books contain anti-Semitic texts. The history and geography books contain maps that represent the whole of Israel as Palestine and a number of passages that call on Palestinian children to liberate all of Jerusalem and all of Palestine.

How has the Commission responded to the Palestinian Authority for having broken an agreement by failing to allow the text of the books to be inspected before publication?

Does the Commission not consider that it must insist on the anti-Semitic passages being removed from the books?

What action has the Commission taken to prevent a repeat of this situation, and is it prepared to allow agreements to be broken, or will any assistance payments made in such cases be claimed back?

Joint answer to Written Questions P-3612/00, P-3643/00 and E-3652/00 given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 December 2000)

The Commission rejects any attempt to use the educational system as a vehicle to promote intolerance and to hinder the efforts achieved so far by the different parties committed with peace in the Middle East. It this particularly regrettable that school children may be exposed to intolerance and mutual incomprehension in any of the parties involved in the conflict.

None of the projects financed by the Commission in support of the Palestinian Authority have supported the production or distribution of school textbooks. Furthermore, no request has ever been made by the Palestinian Authority to finance curricula and textbooks. Assistance to the educational system has focused mainly on infrastructures, equipment for schools and school libraries and direct assistance for current school expenses (salaries, dining rooms, etc.). As regards projects financed bilaterally by Member States, the Commission has no right of monitoring or interference, and therefore the relevant Member States may have to be addressed individually.

The Commission has always focused its assistance on promoting a culture of peace, tolerance and human rights in the Middle East. In this regard, Article 2 of the Community-Palestinian interim association agreement clearly states that mutual co-operation between the parties has to be based on the respect of democratic principles and fundamental human rights as set out in the universal declaration on human rights, which guides their internal and international policy mldr. In this context, the Commission has financed in recent years several projects aiming at encouraging and fostering dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian youth such as encounters to promote cross-cultural dialogue and joint youth leadership training.