The European Parliament voted for a resolution Thursday last week that included financial assistance for education in Palestinian territories. The resolution also included reform measures to prevent Palestinian education from promoting violence or using violent imagery.
The vote also ensured that no EU funds are allocated to the use of violent or antisemitic material taught to young students. The parliament overwhelmingly adopted this resolution, with 412 in favor, 172 against, with 22 abstentions.
The reform, according to the parliament, was passed so that the violent imagery taught in Palestinian textbooks prior would cease and no longer be an obstacle to peaceful solutions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The European Parliament's vote for this reform was within the confines of a budgetary discharge of the European Commission. The parliament controls the use of funds by EU institutions, which gave the parliament the right to question the content of the Palestinian curriculum and its textbooks—all developed by the EU-financed Palestinian Authority.
MEPs have denounced the content found in Palestinian textbooks, claiming that it teaches young Palestinians that Jews are "liars and corrupt" and encourages violence against them.
Task force for education to be set up
The vote also included a task force being set up to provide support training teachers to give young Palestinians a quality education that promotes the values of peace.
MEP and Member of the Renew Europe Group, Ilana Cicurel, said that "October 7 reminded us to what extent the content of these textbooks has played a role in the indoctrination of young people and their participation in Hamas terrorist attacks. This shows that no political perspective towards a two-state solution can be credible and viable as long as education in the Palestinian territories continues to propagate hatred of Israel and Jews, glorifying terrorism and calling for young Palestinians to die as martyrs.
"This is an essential issue so that Israelis can live in peace and security but also that young Palestinians can have access to real prospects for the future," she continued.