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David Bedein

Will State Department prevent publication of GAO investigation of PA texts taught in UNRWA schools?

A journalist and constituent of Sen. James Risch (R-IDAHO), Dr. Anthony Harper, recently asked the GAO (Government Accountability Office) as to the status of the GAO investigation of the Palestinian Authority school books now used by UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which are rife with indoctrination to war.

Senator Risch requested this GAO study after Dr. Harper introduced the Senator to the findings of the Center for Near East Policy Research, which purchases, translates and evaluates all school books that Palestinian Arab children learn in UNRWA schools.

Chuck Young, managing director of public affairs of the GAO provided the following answer to Dr. Harper’s request:

“I checked with our team doing the work on Palestinian textbooks that you inquired about. The work is scheduled to be completed and go to the requester, Sen. Risch, the last week in April, though the date could always slide a bit. During the course of the work, the State Department indicated the report will need to be classified and cannot be released publicly. GAO must follow such classification decisions so we do not expect to issue a public report at this point. It would be available only to those with the necessary secret security clearance and a need to know, such as Members of Congress”

The question remains: Will any member of the US Congress, in the Senate or the House. ask to read and publicize the findings of the GAO investigation of the PA school used in the UNRWA schools?

After all, schoolbooks taught to half a million students of UNRWA are publicly disseminated.

Why should the content of PA school books paid for in part by the US government not be disclosed?

The question remains: Why does the State Department not want to disclose what half a million students study in US partially funded UNRWA schools?

Background

The US donates 30% of the $1.2 billion UNRWA budget. 54% of that UNRWA budget is allocated to UNRWA education.

In September 2016, Senator James Risch, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Near Subcommittee, received studies of PA textbooks used by UNRWA conducted by The Center for Near East Policy Research, which showed that UNRWA education had regressed into total war education. Following that, Senator Risch formally asked the GAO to conduct an investigation of UNRWA education.

In September 2017, the Center for Near East Policy Research completed a study of the 2016. -2017 school books, partially financed by the Simon Wiesenthal Center and published by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.

In February 2018, the Center for Near East Policy Research completed a study of the newest PA school books provided to UNRWA, and determined that the 2018 PA school books provided for UNRWA continues to prepare a new generation for war.

About the Author
David Bedein, who grew up in Philadelphia and moved to Israel in 1970 at the age of 20, is an MSW community organizer by profession and an expereinced investigative journalist. In 1987 he established the Israel Resource News Agency, with offices at the Beit Agron Int’l Press Center in Jerusalem, where he also serves as Director of the Center for Near East Policy Research. In 1991, Bedein was the special CNN middle east radio correspondent. Since 2001, Bedein has contributed features to the newspaper Makor Rishon. In 2006, Bedein became the foreign correspondent for the Philadelphia Bulletin, writing 1,062 articles until the newspaper ceased operation in 2010. He is the author of " The Genesis of the Palestinian Authority" and "ROADBLOCK TO PEACE- How the UN Perpetuates the Arab-Israeli Conflict: UNRWA policies reconsidered"and the director and producer of the numerous short films about UNRWA policy which can be located at: http://tinyurl.com/lxc6xvs