Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much overseas development assistance funding has been spent on Palestinian schools in the occupied territories which have been (a) demolished and (b) threatened with demolition by Israeli authorities in the last five years .
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I [Minister of State for the Americas and the Caribbean] said in the House of Commons on 18 July, the UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to international humanitarian law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. On 7 May, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, to express the government's opposition to the demolition of Jubbet Adh Dhib school. Lord Ahmad has also visited a school under threat of demolition in Masafer Yatta during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in January.
The FCDO aid budget is allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against a challenging financial climate. It is not possible to calculate the exact figure for UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding spent on schools in the OPTs that have been demolished (or are at risk of demolition) because ODA funding for this area goes into a multilateral pooled fund. However, there is a robust framework in place for allocating ODA. Data on ODA spend in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is available on DevTracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/countries/PS).
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has held with his counterpart in Israel on (a) recent and (b) potential future demolitions of Palestinian schools in the occupied territories that are (i) funded and (ii) co-funded by the UK overseas development assistance budget.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As I [Minister of State for the Americas and the Caribbean] said in the House of Commons on 18 July, the UK is clear that in all but the most exceptional of circumstances, demolitions and evictions are contrary to international humanitarian law. Our opposition to the demolition of Palestinian property is long-standing. The practice causes unnecessary suffering and is harmful to efforts to promote peace. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. On 7 May, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon wrote to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, to express the government's opposition to the demolition of Jubbet Adh Dhib school. Lord Ahmad has also visited a school under threat of demolition in Masafer Yatta during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in January.
The FCDO aid budget is allocated in accordance with UK strategic priorities against a challenging financial climate. It is not possible to calculate the exact figure for UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding spent on schools in the OPTs that have been demolished (or are at risk of demolition) because ODA funding for this area goes into a multilateral pooled fund. However, there is a robust framework in place for allocating ODA. Data on ODA spend in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is available on DevTracker (https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/countries/PS).
Asked by: Caroline Ansell (Conservative - Eastbourne)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency on the use of the official Palestinian Authority school curriculum in schools in the West Bank and Gaza; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are longstanding supporters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). We recognise that UNRWA needs to be on a more secure financial footing to ensure that Palestinian refugees' basic needs are met. On 22 September 2022 in New York, The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, attended a ministerial dialogue on UNRWA's financial situation where he reiterated UK support for the agency and the need for the international community to support it to be on a more viable financial footing. We accompany our support for the UNRWA with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values. We also regularly raise the issue of textbook content with the Palestinian Authority directly. Lord Ahmad also reinforced this message during his visit to a UNRWA school on 12 January.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of incidents in which schools in the West Bank were raided during school hours by (a) Israeli forces and (b) Israeli settlers in 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We regularly raise the issue of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of times Israeli forces raided schools in the West Bank in 2022; and what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the impact of these raids on education in the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is firmly committed to ensuring access to education for all Palestinians. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities, economic development and hope for the next generation.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 March 2020 to Question 31567 on Palestinians: Schools, what representations the Government made to the Palestinian Authority on concerns over school naming; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those representations on the decision not to rename those schools.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK Government is clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties and should have no place in education. Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the UN Relief and Works Agency on the Palestinian Authority’s school curriculum.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We strongly condemn all forms of violence and incitement to violence. We accompany our support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with stringent attention to implementation of their neutrality policy, including how they apply this to textbooks and other learning material to ensure they reflect UN values. In Gaza and the West Bank, UNRWA uses the Palestinian Authority's (PA's) curriculum in their schools after rigorously reviewing that it is in line with UN values. Officials from the British Consulate General Jerusalem regularly discuss the curriculum with counterparts in UNRWA and the PA.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 5 February 2018 to Question 125954 on Palestinians: Schools, whether the Government has made representations to the Palestinian Authority on concerns over the naming of a school after Salah Khalaf.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have been clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties. We will continue to raise concerns about this with the PA and continue to urge all parties to condemn incitement wherever and whenever it occurs.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the reasons for the delayed publication of the Georg Eckert Institute’s report on incitement in the Palestinian school curriculum.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Georg Eckert Institute, who were commissioned by the EU to undertake a review into Palestinian textbooks published the final report on 18 June 2021. The review is publicly accessible on their website: http://www.gei.de/en/departments/knowledge-in-transition/analysis-of-palestinian-textbooks-paltex.html
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that educational initiatives in (a) schools and (b) universities promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The conflict in the Middle East has caused grave concern around the world. The Department is committed to tackling all forms of hate and prejudice and promoting tolerance throughout the education system.
On 28 May 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, sent a letter to schools regarding the increase in antisemitic incidents, with advice on teaching about the conflict. The letter reminded schools of their legal duties on political impartiality. When political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, schools should offer them a balanced presentation of opposing views. The letter also stated that schools should not present materials in a politically biased way, and signposted reputable organisations that schools could work with to teach about the conflict in a balanced manner: https://twitter.com/GavinWilliamson/status/1398374786871537664.
The Department is developing further guidance on political impartiality in schools that we hope will serve to reemphasise these points across the curriculum and help to ensure that educational initiatives in schools are appropriate.
More broadly, schools play an important role in supporting pupils to understand the world, teaching about respect for other people and for differences. Through the ‘Educate Against Hate’ website, resources have been made available to provide teachers, head teachers and parents with the information, guidance and support they need to challenge radical views.
Regarding higher education, on 14 May 2021, the Secretary of State for Education sent a letter to all universities reinforcing the Government's position on antisemitism and urging the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.