The European Parliament on Wednesday voted to freeze funding to the Palestinian Authority due to continued incitement in school textbooks and condemned the involvement of UNRWA employees in the October 7 Hamas-led terror attack.
In a series of resolutions passed as part of the parliament’s annual budget review, lawmakers strongly condemned Palestinian textbooks used by both the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA, for the sixth consecutive year, stating that the materials include “antisemitism, incitement to violence, hate speech, and glorification of terrorism.”
The resolutions declared that EU funding to the Palestinian Authority should be withheld “as long as the content of the textbooks fails to meet UNESCO standards, antisemitic references are not removed, and examples inciting hatred and violence remain.” For the first time, the parliament also included a specific demand that inciting content be removed by the start of the next academic year in September. It conditioned future EU assistance on concrete textbook reforms.
The decision, adopted as part of the European Parliament’s annual budgetary process that evaluates the use of taxpayers’ money, passed with broad cross-party support—including from center-left parties—and was especially backed by the influential chair of the parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee. The resolution passed with a commanding majority: 443 votes in favor, 202 against, and 21 abstentions.
The parliament rejected repeated efforts by left-wing parties allied with the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA to soften or delete key language from the resolutions.
Back in July 2024, the European Commission had already announced that EU aid to the Palestinian Authority would be officially conditioned on reforming its educational content. Despite promises made by the PA to the EU at the time, a March 2025 investigation by the research and policy institute IMPACT-se found no evidence of meaningful reform. On the contrary, the report revealed that the PA had produced an entirely new curriculum for Gaza that was filled with violent incitement, calls to kill civilians, promotion of jihad, and explicit antisemitism.
The report’s findings, presented to senior EU officials and European Parliament budget committee members, were widely covered in the media and helped lay the groundwork for this week’s parliamentary decision.
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A teacher at Al-Nasr Elementary school in Gaza City using a hand puppet to reach the young students, standing next to a chalkboard gloriffying the October 7 massacre
The resolutions mark a direct challenge to the Palestinian Authority’s agreements with the EU and sharpen the demand for immediate reforms to its educational system.
Additionally, the parliament passed a resolution stating that “no EU funds should be allocated to individuals or organizations linked to terrorist groups.” In this context, the resolution cited evidence that UNRWA employees had taken part in the atrocities committed on October 7. The parliament emphasized the existence of alternatives to UNRWA and urged the European Commission to work instead with “reliable partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF.”
'We will not turn a blind eye to children being exposed to hate'
Members of the European Parliament from a wide range of political factions, including from the center-left, voiced strong opposition to Palestinian educational incitement.
Niklas Herbst, chair of the Budgetary Control Committee from the center-right EPP—the largest and most influential group in the parliament—stated: “Today the Parliament made it clear that Palestinian textbooks must not promote violence, incite hatred or spread antisemitism. It is our responsibility to ensure that European taxpayers’ money supports coexistence, respect for human rights and mutual understanding.”
He added that the EU must “demand full accountability and transparency from our partners to ensure that no EU funding supports educational content that contradicts these core values.”
Sabrina Pignedoli, a member of the Socialist & Democrats (S&D) group who serves on the education committee, said: “Education is the foundation of every new generation. It must be based on peace, respect, and human dignity. The European Parliament has sent a clear message today: We will not turn a blind eye when children are exposed to hate and division. Every student has the right to an education that fosters understanding and reconciliation, not fear and polarization.”
Joachim Schuster, from the liberal Renew Europe group, said: “The European Parliament has made clear that hatred and incitement cannot be part of Palestinian textbooks. In my view, they shouldn’t be part of any textbook. Children deserve an education rooted in peace and mutual respect, not one that glorifies violence or promotes antisemitism. EU funds should build hope, not hate.”
Dutch MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen from the right-leaning ECR party added: “Education funded by European taxpayers must reflect the fundamental values of our continent—peace and mutual respect, not hatred and violence. It is our duty to ensure that Palestinian textbooks stop promoting antisemitism or glorifying terrorism. Only when incitement ends can we hope for peace in the region.”
IMPACT-se: Parliament taking a stand against empty promises
Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se, welcomed the move: “It is very encouraging to see the European Parliament taking leadership and demanding accountability from both the Palestinian Authority and the European Commission, making clear that empty promises will no longer be tolerated.”
“It is unacceptable that European taxpayers’ money is being misused to fund an educational system that fuels the kind of extreme hatred and violence we saw on October 7. We will continue monitoring the Palestinian education system and pushing for the promised reforms to be implemented,” he said.
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Eric Agassi, IMPACT-se’s deputy director based in London, added: “The European Parliament is sending a clear message today—it’s time for the European Commission to stop relying on Palestinian assurances and instead present credible public evidence that real changes have been made.”
“For six years in a row, the Parliament has consistently found no meaningful improvements in Palestinian educational content. The promises of reform have proven to be hollow. Credibility is on the line. Without verifiable evidence of change, it would be irresponsible to continue releasing funds as in the past.”