Israeli Experts: UNRWA Textbooks Draw Palestinian Children Toward Terrorism
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- [Julie] Lady with a Palestinian scarf
appears harmless, right?
- But, who is this?
Dalal Mughrabi, who led a terrorist attack
and murdered 38 people,including 13 children
on the Coastal Road of Israel in 1978.
- [Julie] Her picture appears
in the fifth gradeArabic language textbook.
It's part of a
(muffled speaking)four-page lesson
that hails Mughrabi asa martyr who painted
with her struggle a pictureof challenge and heroism.
The text in front of us provides
a glance on the path of her struggle.
- In these four pages,they're praising her
and saying what a hero she was
and how the younger generation
needs to act exactly the same as she did.
(muffled speaking)- Israeli Knesset member
Sharren Haskel and David Bedein
of the Israel Resource News Agency
spoke to journalists about reform
they believe need to happen.
- Some of the major problems with UNRWA
(people yelling)are perpetuating the conflict
and perpetuating thehatred and the violence
between Palestinians and Israelis.
- [Julie] CBN News asked UNRWA about
the textbooks and education system.
(muffled speaking)In a written statement,
spokesman Christoper Gunnesstold us UNRWA teaches
in accordance with UNvalues and principles.
By convention, we teach thecurriculum of host countries,
i.e., the PA curriculumin the occupied territory.
We review every book we use.
We check for genderbias, age appropriateness
and political neutrality.
On average, we have foundless than 3% of the pages
we have reviewed to be problematic.
We have frameworks andprocedures for supporting
our teachers in dealing withthese passages in the books.
There are 515,000 Palestinian children
in the UNRWA school system.
Bedein says if even 2% takeup the terror challenge,
that would create morethan 10,000 terrorists.
Bedein sees other issues with UNRWA.
- UNRWA is different from anyother refugee organization,
'cause other refugee organizations
help people get on with their lives.
UNRWA, as a policy, teaches the concept
of the right of return by force of arms.
- [Julie] That so-called rightof return is also exaggerated
by the very definitionof Palestinian refugees.
- UNRWA's got a completelydifferent refugee definition
than any other international organization.
In UNRWA, a refugeestatus can be inherited,
which means that they do not fulfill
their basic agenda forwhat they were created for.
It continues to build biggerand bigger refugee camps,
give them permanent housing,give them permanent healthcare,
give them a permanent education system.
This is the role of acountry, not a relief agency.
Haskell and Bedein hope thatPresident Trump's action to cut
(muffled speaking)funding will force
UNRWA to make changes.
Julie Stahl, CBN News, Jerusalem.