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RESPONSE SENT TO A MEMBER OF THE UK PARLIAMENT FOLLOWING A REQUEST AS TO WHAT UNRWA POLICY QUESTIONS SHOULD BE ASKED OF THE UK GOVERNMENT APPLICABLE TO ANY UNRWA DONOR NATION
David Bedein
Director
23 February 2023
To: A Senior Parliamentary Assistant to …
House of Lords SW1A 0PW Parliament
Dear Ms.
I am pleased to respond to your request to suggest questions about UNRWA to raise in the UK Parliament.
Context: The UK is a major donor to UNRWA and can influence UNRWA policy.
https://www.unrwa.org/how-you-can-help/government-partners/funding-trends
The following questions, in bold, challenge UK lawmakers to ask UNRWA to act in accordance with the values of the United Nations.
1. In 2017, UNRWA introduced a textbook which features a woman named Dalal el Mugrabi – whose terror squad commandeered a civilian bus and murdered more than 30 passengers, including 13 children – as a role model for UNRWA pupils. In the new UNRWA text, Dalal is portrayed in full terror garb, followed by a lesson plan which presents her life story for adulation and emulation. Why does the UK not ask for the removal of this and other such texts taught at United Nations schools?
2. UNRWA contracts for exclusive use of Palestinian Authority schoolbooks in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and Gaza. Like all UN agencies, UNRWA administers its schools under the UN slogan of “Peace Begins Here.” PA education, however, runs schools based on the ideology of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is “the conquest of Palestine by force of arms”. In another new text, UNRWA pupils are taught to sing a song which encourages children to “exterminate the usurpers” after the Arabs return to control of Palestine Why does the UK not ask UNRWA to instead offer a curriculum based on peace and reconciliation?
https://israelbehindthenews.com/2014/04/07/the-u-n-s-child-death-cult-education/
https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/?s=GROISS
3. El Kutla youth clubs in UNRWA schools, affiliated with Hamas, inspire pupils with the mantra of the armed struggle from a young age. https://israelbehindthenews.com/2022/02/11/new-research-hamas-operation-of-unrwa-youth-clubs-in-unrwa-schools/
Why does the UK not ask UNRWA to demand that youth clubs on UNRWA premises cease and desist from violent incitement?
4. UNRWA now presents 125 new maps in their schools with Arab names that delete the Jewish names of all Jewish communities. Meanwhile, Israel is wiped off the UNRWA maps. Since Israel is a member state of the United Nations, why does the UK not insist that Israel be included on UNRWA maps?
5. UNRWA schools in Jenin and in Gaza have become virtual arsenals. Why does the UK not ask for a weapons and ammunition inspection of UNRWA facilities?
6. At this point in time, UNRWA holds out the “right of return” as the only option for the future of 6.7 million descendants of Arab refugees from the 1948 War who dwell as “refugees for perpetuity” in the indignity of 59 “temporary” refugee camps since 1949. However, the UNHCR, which protects the rights of refugees all over the world, has enforced the most important human right for all refugees to be settled in permanent homes, with dignity.
Why, then does the UK not endorse a plan for Arab refugees for the voluntary resettlement of UNRWA residents who wish to leave the squalid conditions of UNRWA refugee camps?
7. In light of the continued incitement at UNRWA facilities, the US and UNRWA signed an accord in July 2021 that requires UNRWA to eradicate incitement from its educational system as a condition for funds. When UNRWA refused to make such changes in the UNRWA curriculum, the US placed funds for UNRWA education in escrow. Would the UK also condition funds for UK education until UNRWA makes the relevant changes in its schools?
8. Hamas, defined by the UN as an illegal terrorist group, dominates some UNRWA facilities.
Since the UK defines Hamas as a terrorist group, why does the UK not demand the removal of Hamas from UNRWA?
Following murders committed by thirteen- and fourteen-year-old children from UNRWA, along with the widespread militarization of Palestinian Arab youth, will the UK seek to stem violent indoctrination of UNRWA youth, which violates the UN statute on the rights of the child?
https://www.terrorism-info.org.il/app/uploads/2023/02/E_039_23.pdf
9. UNRWA schools are often adorned with murals of “martyrs” who died while killing Jews. Will the UK ask UNRWA to remove these murals?
https://israelbehindthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/UNWRA-OCT-21-02.jpg
