Biden administration to restore funding to UNRWA but with conditions on content of textbooks in view of longstanding antisemitism concerns

The US Government has announced its intention to restore funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) but with conditions on the resumption of aid.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for reforms of UNRWA textbooks including “taking steps to ensure the content of all educational materials currently taught in UNRWA-administered schools and summer camps is consistent with the values of human rights and tolerance and does not induce incitement.”

Secretary Blinken made the remarks in this presentation of the 2022 State Department budget to the Appropriations Committees of the House of Representatives and Senate.

He stated that UNRWA “disseminates antisemitic and anti-Israel material in its curricula,” and advised that the State Department would be “looking very, very carefully” at the processes UNRWA uses to deal with hateful educational materials.

The Secretary of State also called for an end to the use of UNRWA facilities by antisemitic terrorist organisations.

Earlier this year, Australia announced a review into UNRWA funding after a watchdog monitoring peace and tolerance in the Middle East accused UNRWA of distributing educational materials containing antisemitism and calling for jihad.

Earlier this month, the European Union reportedly tried to suppress a report that reveals that antisemitism is rife in EU-funded Palestinian Authority textbooks.

Antisemitism in Palestinian Authority and UNRWA textbooks funded by Britain, the EU and Western nations has been an ongoing problem for many years.