The European Parliament: A Biased Platform and Its Session Exposes Double Standards

Author: بسام زكارنة

In a session held by the European Parliament to discuss Palestinian curricula, the chamber, which was supposed to be a platform for justice, turned into a biased propaganda stage for the occupation and the crimes of genocide. An Israeli speaker known for his anti-Palestinian positions was presented as an "expert on Palestinian affairs" alongside a speaker labeled as Palestinian, who is not recognized in Palestine and was chosen by Israeli entities, while any genuine representative of the Palestinian people or Palestinian educational institutions was excluded.

In this arrangement, it was clear that the session aimed not at a balanced educational discussion but at cementing a unilateral Israeli narrative that accuses Palestinian curricula of incitement while completely ignoring Israeli curricula, which independent educational reports document as rife with racist discourse and glorification of violence and settlement, and the daily victims of Israeli terrorism. The bodies of children are seen daily by members of the European Parliament in Gaza, and the war of starvation and the destruction of towers has been covered by most media outlets. This is the result of their educational curricula and their inciting and racist media.

In this context, Palestinian educational curricula emerge as a crucial field for understanding the essence of the conflict with this colonial, terrorist Zionist ideology. Palestinian curricula, despite the conditions of occupation and siege, focus on reinforcing national identity and human rights as guaranteed by international charters. In contrast, educational and international reports reveal that Israeli curricula contain organized discourse that sows hate, glorifies settlement, and depicts Palestinians as a constant threat. Some fatwas issued by extremist religious figures have been documented calling for the killing of Palestinians, including children, supported by explicit statements from Israeli leaders describing Palestinians as human monsters and announcing their intentions to cut off water and electricity, and to prevent humanitarian aid. Indeed, these terrorist Israeli ideas have been implemented, and the number of martyrs among children and women during 700 days in Gaza has reached 30,000, with the number rising daily at a rate of one child or woman killed every 40 minutes, according to neutral UN and international reports.

Any parliamentary discussion that focuses exclusively on Palestinian curricula while ignoring this official and institutional incitement cannot be considered a balanced educational debate; rather, it is a blatant moral and political complicity that contributes to perpetuating occupation, discrimination, and supporting Israeli terrorism.

This behavior cannot be regarded as merely a "miscalculation;" it is a political and unethical bias that undermines the credibility of the European Union as a defender of human rights and transforms its sessions into a pressure tool to impose conditions on the victim instead of holding the occupying state accountable.

If the European Parliament wishes to maintain its position as an institution defending human rights and international law, it must take decisive and tangible steps that include:

• Immediate intervention to stop the genocide in Gaza and end the organized terrorism of settlers in the West Bank, and protect Palestinian civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.

• A formal apology for excluding independent Palestinian voices from discussions and parliamentary committees and ensuring genuine representation of the Palestinian community.

• Holding balanced hearings that include representatives of the Palestinian government, international experts, and actual representatives of Palestinian civil society to ensure an objective and neutral assessment of educational curricula and educational practices.

• Reviewing Israeli curricula against the same standards while recognizing and addressing the documented incitement and racism within them as part of international responsibility.

• Ensuring that financial or political support is not used as a tool of extortion against the Palestinian people and that any resources directed to Israel are utilized to stop war crimes and terrorism against the Palestinian people and the countries of the region, not to enhance occupation or settlement.

The European Parliament must take urgent actions to ensure the neutrality of discussions and ensure accountability for the occupation under international law.

Any neglect of these steps means that the European Parliament chooses to side with the narrative of occupation and loses its role as a platform for democracy and human rights.