On Thursday, Sept. 3, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen weighed in on the issue of Hamas complaints to UNRWA about its purported plans to teach the Holocaust in its schools.
One caveat: Ros-Lehtinen says that UNRWA director Karen Abu Zayd "claimed that UNRWA schools do not and will not teach about the Holocaust." I’m not sure about the "will not."
My take is that Abu Zayd was weaselling out of meaningful comment by, on the one hand, appeasing Hamas through assurances that UNRWA does not currently teach the Holocaust and on the other, attempting to swat away critics by not counting out the possibility of it being taught in an updated curriculum.
Here’s the Ros-Lehtinen release:
(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented today on recent reports of statements by an official of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that the Holocaust is not a lesson on human rights violations and UNRWA schools will not teach about the Holocaust.
Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:
"As usual, the UN is not practicing what it preaches. UNRWA’s refusal to teach the Holocaust even contradicts the UN General Assembly, which has urged the development of Holocaust education programs.
"By disconnecting the Holocaust from human rights, UNRWA is highlighting the anti-Semitic bias that pervades the UN system.
"With the UN General Assembly beginning its next session later this month, the U.S. must demonstrate leadership and push for sweeping, meaningful reforms throughout the UN system, starting with UNRWA.
"Congress should also move to enact pending legislation that prevents U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding UN activities that undermine our interests and values."
Background: According to news reports, a leading UNRWA official recently claimed that UNRWA schools do not and will not teach about the Holocaust, and implicitly claimed that the Holocaust does not fall under the issue of human rights, stating: "I can refute allegations that UN school curriculum includes anything about the Holocaust. Anyone can have a look at the school books. Really we focus on human rights in curriculum." UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/60/7 (2005) urged the development of "educational programmes that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide…" UNRWA also still refuses to vet its staff and aid recipients for ties to violent extremist groups, and continues to compromise its strictly humanitarian mandate by propagandizing against Israel and in favor of Hamas.
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