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Legislative bills

Reintroduction of the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Congressman Brad Sherman reintroduced the bipartisan Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, a critical legislation that aims to create U.S.-created reporting and oversight on educational materials produced by the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). The bill seeks to address the ongoing issue of incitement and violence in Palestinian education, which erases Israel from maps, refers to Israel as "the enemy," and encourages children to sacrifice their lives to "liberate" all of the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. The legislation has gained significant bipartisan support, with 46 cosponsors in the 117th Congress, up from 18 in the 116th Congress.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act aims to create U.S.-created reporting and oversight on educational materials produced by the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA.
  • The bill seeks to address the ongoing issue of incitement and violence in Palestinian education, which erases Israel from maps, refers to Israel as "the enemy," and encourages children to sacrifice their lives to "liberate" all of the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea.
  • The Palestinian Authority and UNRWA have been criticized for their continued inclusion of violence, incitement, and antisemitism in their educational materials.
  • The bill requires the Secretary of State to submit annual reports reviewing the educational material used by the PA and enumerates certain criteria for such reports to include.
  • The legislation has passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously in both the 117th and 116th Congress.
  • The bill has gained significant bipartisan support, with 46 cosponsors in the 117th Congress, up from 18 in the 116th Congress.

Statistics:

  • 38 Israeli civilians, including 13 children, were killed in the 1978 Coastal Road massacre perpetrated by convicted terrorist Dalal Mughrabi.
  • 46 bipartisan cosponsors in the 117th Congress, up from 18 in the 116th Congress.
  • The bill has been passed unanimously by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in both the 117th and 116th Congress.
  • Over a million Palestinian children are taught antisemitism and hate every school day, according to Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) CEO Marcus Sheff.

Sources:

  • Congressman Brad Sherman: introducing the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act
  • Congressman Brian Mast, Congressman Josh Gottheimer, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, and Congressman David Trone: cosponsors of the bill
  • ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt: supporting the bill
  • Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) CEO Marcus Sheff: supporting the bill
  • State Department: report on Palestinian Authority textbooks (GAO-18-227C, released to Congress April 26, 2018 and declassified in February 2019)
  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): Declaration of Principles on Tolerance (adopted November 16, 1995)

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