House Passes Sherman's Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Brad Sherman's (CA-32) Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act that would require the U.S. secretary of state to issue an annual public report on teaching materials "in schools in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority or located in Gaza and controlled by any other entity."
"It occurs when generations are raised to hate, to kill, to behead, to murder, and it is a product of the schools that we have seen for decades on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," said Congressman Sherman ahead of the vote. "When we resumed funding for UNRWA in 2021, it was with the understanding that these schools would change, and we reached the 2021 framework for cooperation," Sherman said. "So far, not so good. … Education for terrorism has continued."
If passed, it would require the U.S. State Department to produce an annual report on the "textbooks, leaflets, pamphlets, magazines and other instructional materials" used in Palestinian schools.
Textbooks that the Palestinian Authority uses in Judea and Samaria "include graphics portraying violence against Israeli soldiers, positive portrayals of individuals who have committed attacks against citizens of Israel and references to Palestinian efforts to target the ‘Zionists,'" according to the bill.