In a move considered ‘unprecedented,’ the Palestinian Authority was recently questioned on its anti-Israel incitement in Palestinian textbooks. Hillel Neuer, Director of UN Watch, said, “Since 1974 when Yasser Arafat and the PLO were welcomed into the United Nations, this is the first time the world body’s spotlight was placed on Palestinian racism, discrimination, and anti-Semitism. Accountability is always the best disinfectant.” Additionally, UN Watch submitted a 32 Page brief detailing Palestinian actions. Among the highlighted issues: Palestinian Laws that incentivize the murder of Jews; Racist Palestinian Laws that forbid the sale of property to Jews; Palestinian educational resources teach hate, incite children to terrorism, and Palestinian Persecution of Christians and Samaritans.” Brazilian Special Secretary for Human Rights, Silva Albuquerque, questioned Palestinian representatives about “the presence of anti-Semitic and discriminatory language in textbooks used by children and teen-agers in Palestinian schools.”
The Palestinian representatives “failed to show any sense of accountability, instead repeatedly pointing the finger at Israel as an excuse…UN Watch regrets the attempts of the Palestinians to politicize the review session.”
The committee gave significant concrete suggestions to the Palestinian representatives, especially the combating of hate speech and incitement to violence.
Hopefully, the PA leadership will turn these concrete suggestions into concrete actions. The UN needs to keep the light on to make sure that happens.
(Source: UN WATCH)
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