Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Matthew Offord Excerpts

Monday 29th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

I do apologise; I will now call two from the Government Benches. First, I call Dr Matthew Offord.

[Dr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con)]

In November, a report by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education found that half of Gaza’s 500,000 school pupils attended UNRWA-operated education institutions and that the Palestinian Authority curriculum taught in those schools is replete with antisemitism and encourages violence. The Minister says that he is going to suspend future payments, but the damage has already been done by decades of UK funding.

[Mr Mitchell]

I can tell my hon. Friend that, when I was previously in government, I heard these allegations back in 2010, 2011, 2012. I asked to see and have translated these school books, and I have in the past year raised the same point again. I have not seen any evidence of what he is describing. If he would like to give the Government evidence, we will of course follow it up, but I must make it clear to him that both 10 years ago and in the past year no such evidence has been forthcoming.