WRITTEN QUESTION P-3612/00

by François Zimeray (PSE) to the Commission

(15 November 2000)

Subject: EU financial aid to the Palestinian educational system

In a recently published report, a non-governmental organisation, the Centre for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, has revealed that a number of schoolbooks published by the Palestinian authority are nothing less than anti-semitic propaganda which, in any EU Member State, would be prohibited under the law on incitement to racial hatred. And yet, as a result of the 1993 Oslo agreements, the Palestinian educational system receives massive subsidies from the European Union and its Member States, amounting to an average of at least euro 20 milion per year.

The European Commission is asked:

1. To what extent has the aid provided by the European Commission directly or indirectly helped to finance the publications listed below and any other handbooks liable to contain anti-semitic passages. More generally, has funding by the Commission directly or indirectly contributed to the drafting, printing, distribution, use and translation of some or all of their content?

2. What steps have been taken to monitor the proper allocation of funds and to what extent, if any, have EU officials or representatives of the Member States been associated with the drafting of school curricula?

3. Is such aid conditional upon observance by the beneficiaries of fundamental rights as well as the Oslo and Camp David agreements?

The Commission is asked to answer these questions in detail and with due urgency.

- Teaching handbook Contemporary history of Arabs and the World, pp. 12, 13, 152 and 155.

- Contemporary history of Arabs and the World, pp. 92, 123, 120, 121, 123.

- Arab modern history and contemporary issues, second part, tenth level, pp. 48, 49, 50.

- Literary texts, eighth level, pp. 97, 103.

- Palestinian national education, third level, pp. 14, 15, 23.

- Our Arab language, fifth level, pp. 64, 66, 67, 69, 70.

- Teaching handbook Our Arab language, second level, p. 188.

- Islamic education, ninth level, pp. 78, 79, 87, 181, 182.

- Islamic education, fourth level, second part, p. 67.

- Islamic education, seventh level, pp. 108, 125.

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.