UNRWA Erases Palestine from Geography Textbook – Outrage in Lebanon

A geography book for 6th graders in UNRWA schools replaced Palestine with “West Bank & Gaza.” Palestinian students in Lebanon burned all copies, calling it a national crime, not a mistake.

Key points:

UNRWA claims the change was to “enhance thinking,” but civil society calls it a deliberate erasure of identity. 🫶 Ali Huwaidi (General Director of Association 302) stresses this violates Article 29 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which protects national identity in education. Demands: official withdrawal of the book, public apology, and accountability from Lebanon’s Ministry of Education. Observers warn this aligns with Israeli efforts to strip UNRWA curricula of national content, undermining the right of return.

Analysis – al‑muraqeb: This is not a textbook error but a dangerous precedent. Erasing “Palestine” equals erasing history and rights. Lebanon’s silence is troubling, and Palestinian factions vow peaceful protests if UNRWA does not act.