The letter, addressed to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, was in response to the release of the latest EU report into the PA curriculum, which confirmed that Palestinian textbooks promote antisemitism and violence against Israel. Cited in the CFI letter is one example of the PA curriculum, an exercise in one religious studies textbook asking students to discuss the “repeated attempts by the Jews to kill the prophet” Muhammad and asking who are “other enemies of Islam."The educational materials glorify and praise terrorists who attacked Israelis, not only in social studies and history books, but also in math and science books.
The letter claims that these materials are not only antisemitic, but also harm Palestinian children and ruin the possibility of peace.
CFI's chairman wrote: “If peace is to stand any chance, this hate-filled curriculum must be reformed immediately,” adding that “our support to the Palestinian people must promote peace, not division."
Currently, the UK provides funding for the implementation of the textbooks used in the West Bank and Gaza, including to the UN Relief and Works Agency. After a report was released in February that found dozens of examples of incitement of violence against Israel and Jews, the European Union called for the withholding of 5% of funding to the PA and UNWRA, the world body's agency for Palestinian refugees.