European Parliament freezes funding to the Palestinian Authority due to antisemitic textbooks

The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to freeze funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah due to the ongoing “antisemitism, incitement to violence, hate speech, and glorification of terrorism” in Arabic-language schoolbooks used by the PA as well as the UN agency UNRWA.

The resolution stated that European Union (EU) financial assistance to the PA will be frozen “as long as the content of the textbooks fails to meet UNESCO standards, antisemitic references are not removed, and examples inciting hatred and violence remain.” The parliament also condemned the involvement of UNRWA employees in the Hamas Oct. 7 atrocities against mostly Israeli civilians in 2023. 

The parliamentary resolution was passed with 443 votes in favor, 202 against and 21 abstentions. The move is significant because the EU is one of the largest donors to the PA, which is led by Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinian Authority undermined its commitment to educational reform by promoting violence and antisemitism in the newly introduced curriculum for Gazan schools. Furthermore, the resolution marks the first time that the European parliament incorporates a concrete demand that the PA removes the antisemitic content before the beginning of the next academic year in September.

In addition, this marks the first time European nations have explicitly conditioned funding to the PA on the removal of antisemitic content from schoolbooks.

The parliament also passed a resolution, which pledges that “no EU funds should be allocated to individuals or organizations linked to terrorist groups,” stressing incriminating evidence that UNRWA employees were involved in the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of 251 people from southern Israel. 

Appearing to accept Israel’s ban on UNRWA, the European parliament stressed that there are viable alternatives to UNRWA and called on the European Commission to cooperate with “reliable partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF.”

Niklas Herbst, the German chair of the Budgetary Control Committee from the large and influential center-right EPP party, welcomed the resolution. 

“Today the Parliament made it clear that Palestinian textbooks must not promote violence, incite hatred or spread antisemitism. It is our responsibility to ensure that European taxpayers’ money supports coexistence, respect for human rights and mutual understanding,” Herbst stated. He continued by stressing that the European Union should  “demand full accountability and transparency from our partners to ensure that no EU funding supports educational content that contradicts these core values.”

Sabrina Pignedoli, a member of the education committee from the Socialist & Democrats (S&D) group, stressed that education, which embraces tolerance is the key to future peaceful coexistence. 

“Education is the foundation of every new generation. It must be based on peace, respect, and human dignity. The European Parliament has sent a clear message today: We will not turn a blind eye when children are exposed to hate and division. Every student has the right to an education that fosters understanding and reconciliation, not fear and polarization,” Pignedoli said.

Joachim Schuster, from the liberal Renew Europe group, echoed similar sentiments. 

“The European Parliament has made clear that hatred and incitement cannot be part of Palestinian textbooks. In my view, they shouldn’t be part of any textbook. Children deserve an education rooted in peace and mutual respect, not one that glorifies violence or promotes antisemitism. EU funds should build hope, not hate,” Schuster stated. 

Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se, an NGO that promotes a violence-free education, welcomed the European resolution. 

“It is very encouraging to see the European Parliament taking leadership and demanding accountability from both the Palestinian Authority and the European Commission, making clear that empty promises will no longer be tolerated,” Sheff asserted. 

“It is unacceptable that European taxpayers’ money is being misused to fund an educational system that fuels the kind of extreme hatred and violence we saw on October 7. We will continue monitoring the Palestinian education system and pushing for the promised reforms to be implemented,” he added.