UN Watch Statement Highlights Indoctrination of Palestinian Children

This week, United Nations Watch published a statement describing their deep concern that the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas have continuously violated the right to life of Israeli and Palestinian children in breach of international conventions.

The statement outlines how Palestinian officials have repeatedly endangered children’s rights by inciting anti-Semitism, terrorism & violence in Palestinian media & education. 

In the complaint, UN Watch addresses the culture of PA & Hamas which regularly puts Israeli & Palestinian children at risk. The statement also mentions violations of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to which the Palestinian Authority is a party.

According to UN Watch, the PA subscribed to these human rights treaties protecting children in 2014. Since then, there have been several iterations of Palestinian terrorism and violence that have resulted in the deaths of both Palestinian and Israeli children. Israeli children have been increasingly affected as terrorists have targeted Israeli civilians in attacks.

Only two months after the PA subscribed to the ICCPR and CRC, Hamas terrorists kidnapped and brutally murdered Naftali Frenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah – three Israeli teenagers. The statement highlights how the kidnappings served as a catalyst for children’s rights violations as the incident precipitated the 2014 Gaza war – a seven-week conflict in which hundreds of rockets were fired from Gaza indiscriminately. During the conflict, Hamas launched rockets from or near schools or other civilian infrastructure putting both Palestinian and Israeli children at risk.

UN Watch’s statement also highlighted that 2014 was just one instance in a series of related incidents endangering both Israeli and Palestinian children. Equally important, is the culture of violence and indoctrination imposed on Palestinian youth from a variety of sources starting at a very early age. 

In schools, everyday culture, and the media, children are taught Israel is not a legitimate state and belongs to the Palestinians. Children, are routinely encouraged to support and idolize terrorists while Israel and Jews collectively are disparaged.

Read UN Watch’s statement: https://unwatch.org/hrc-44-written-statement-palestinian-violations-of-child-rights/