Following a sustained campaign from LFI, Foreign Office Minister, Alistair Burt, announced that the government will be conducting a review into the PA’s new curriculum. The announcement came in a letter from Alistair to LFI chair Joan Ryan and LFI parliamentary supporter Ian Austin.
Commenting on the announcement of a review, Jennifer Gerber, Director of Labour Friends of Israel, said:
“Joan Ryan first raised LFI’s deep concerns about the PA’s new lessons in hate directly with the government in September. After months of pressure and prevarication, DfID has now announced a review of the curriculum. We have little faith that this is anything other than a further delaying tactic, which is why we have scheduled Wednesday’s debate.”
LFI’s campaign on incitement in the new PA curriculum has consisted of:
- LFI chair Joan Ryan tabled a number of Parliamentary questions last September
- LFI briefing for parliamentarians with IMPACT-se in October
- LFI vice-chair John Woodcock wrote to the DFID secretary of state Penny Mourdant regarding the curriculum last December
- Joan Ryan and Ian Austin wrote to the PM regarding this issue and urging action in March
- The Sunday Times covered LFI’s discovery that UK funding is directly used to implement the curriculum with a front page story in April
- Joan Ryan’s parliamentary debate will take place at 4pm on Wednesday 4 July and is entitled ‘Incitement in the Palestinian education system’
You can read Alistair’s letter to Joan and Ian here.