Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on the findings of the report published by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education entitled UNRWA Education: Textbooks and Terror, published in November 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
We have discussed issues relating to the curriculum and textbooks with counterparts in United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Authority. This specific report has not been discussed with the Commissioner-General, however we are aware of the findings. We take any allegation of the promotion of racism and discrimination extremely seriously. Any allegations of breaches of UN staff regulations and rules, including neutrality breaches, are reported to FCDO and investigated. We continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to encourage Arab and Muslim states to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The UK is committed to working with Arab and Israeli partners to help deliver shared prosperity and regional security.
We welcome Israeli PM Bennett’s recent inaugural visit to Bahrain.
The UK is committed to ensuring that normalisation is an enduring success. We will continue to encourage further regional partners to normalise relations with Israel and support efforts that bring us closer to this goal.
Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of Hamas’s recent statement calling for an escalation of violence against Israel on stability in that region.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Our position on Hamas is clear: we condemn Hamas' continued attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and indiscriminate rocket fire against Israel. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We call on those in the region with influence over Hamas to encourage them to take these steps.Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK aid does not promote antisemitism.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Government and UK aid is committed to combatting the rise of antisemitism in all its forms, both domestically and internationally. The UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues, Lord Pickles, engages with the issues relating to Holocaust denial and antisemitism, and the UK was the first country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism, which we encourage others to adopt.