US: Aid to continue if UNRWA changes school books

After Israeli forces demolishes the school in Bethlehem district of West Bank, the school was re-opened by the Palestinian Ministry of Education following reconstruction work done by activists [Mamoun Wazwaz/Anadolu Agency]

The American administration has proposed UNRWA change its school textbooks in order to continue to receive donations, QudsNet News reported yesterday.

Reporting the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad, the paper said the US proposed two amendments to the textbooks that includes abolition of all references to the right of return and issue of refugees in general, as well having no mention of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

The other proposed condition, which would guarantee the continuation of US aid to the UN body only in occupied Palestinian territories and Jordan, is to stop commemorating occasions such as Nakba Day and the Balfour Declaration.

Meanwhile, the UNRWA’s Chief of Communications Sami Mshasha said the US had conditioned the continuation of aid to the organisation carrying out “amendments” and said it would only fund UNRWA’s operations in Jordan and the occupied territories.

He reiterated that the UNRWA is suffering from an “unprecedented” budget crisis, but stressed that it would continue offering its services to Palestinian refugees in besieged Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

Read: UNRWA calls on US not to politicise its aid to Palestine refugees

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