HC Deb 24 June 2003 vol 407 c707W
Mr. Dismore

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority over the indoctrination of Palestinian children into suicide bombing, through television and music broadcasts, school books, and speeches by Palestinian Authority leaders; and if he will make a statement.[119999]

Mr. Rammell

We have made clear to the Palestinian Authority the importance of preventing incitement to violence in all areas of Palestinian society, and we welcome Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas' undertaking at Aqaba to act against incitement. The NGO Israel/Palestine Centre for Research and Information has recently completed an evaluation of new Palestinian educational textbooks introduced in recent years. It concludes that there have been improvements in content, and that the new textbooks do not incite against Israel or against peace. We continue to encourage such developments, and to support both the Palestinian Authority and Israel as they implement the roadmap, which includes clear obligations on both parties to end incitement against the other. We call on leaders and opinion-formers on both sides to set the standard and exercise judgment in their public statements.

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