On the recordNovember 1, 2023
I thank my friend, Representative Brad Schneider, for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 3266, the Peace and Tolerance in Palestinian Education Act, bipartisan legislation I cosponsored, introduced by Representatives Brad Sherman and Brian Mast. Mr. Speaker, this bill is necessary because we continue to see the use of textbooks and other educational materials in schools run by the PA and UNRWA containing anti-Israel content which perpetuates anti- Semitism, victimhood, and martyrdom, erases Israel from the map, and even glorifies violence and terrorism. Children in the West Bank and Gaza deserve the chance to learn without using textbooks that are biased, promote intolerance, and demonize or mischaracterize Israel. That is why this bill would require the State Department to investigate, report to Congress, and make publicly available important information about the content of the curriculum used in these schools. The PA and UNRWA have a responsibility to address and remove problematic content in textbooks that violates the U.N.'s own principles of neutrality and tolerance. We know that no child is born to hate. They have to be carefully taught. Educational materials that teach them hate by demonizing Israel only make it harder to resolve the conflict and achieve lasting peace. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important bipartisan bill that I am proud to cosponsor.
